Search for the Shinzaho
by Kei-chan1
Summary: **COMPLETE** What happens when a mysterious girl comes to the palace? And why does she have the shinzaho? An alternate reality fic that includes alot of fighting, a bizarre triangle, and tons of humor!
1. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 1

Author's Note: Unfortunately… I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of the characters.. except for Jiyuna. Also, I'd like to make it clear that I refuse to acknowledge the deaths of Nuriko, Hotohori, Mitsukake, and Churiko. Enjoy.  
  
The young girl wandered the of Konan Country, feeling and looking completely lost. *What is this place?* she thought to herself. *It's so crowded and busy.*  
  
She ducked into an alley and leaned heavily against the side of a building. Thinking back to the past few days, a terrible sorrow filled the girl, and one lonely tear slid down her cheek. Her mother, whom she had tried so desperately to save, was killed at the hands of the blonde one. Killed… for what reason? They had lived in a tiny village where they farmed the emporer's land. They had not once been inside the gates, in fact, they barely ever heard any of the city's news. When the news finally did reach them, it was already months after it had happened. So why did the tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes show up at their 2 room house and demand the shinzaho? What was this shinzaho anyway?  
  
The sadness in her heart was replaced by anger. She had no idea what a shizaho was, and frankly, she did not care. The blonde one would have killed her, too, if she had not run out the back door and into the woods.  
  
*Stop it, Jiyuna. You can't bring her back.*  
  
An audible groaned escaped her lips as she clutched her left side tightly. In her attempt to save her mother, Jiyuna was injured by the blue light that burst from the blonde man's hand.  
  
*I've got to get to the palace.* With her free hand, Jiyuna pushed herself away from the wall and stumbled out the alley.  
  
"Well well, what have we here?"  
  
The sudden, deep voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up and realized that she had just walked into a band of theives.  
  
*Shit!*  
  
One of the theives, the leader, by the way the others flanked him, rose   
from where he was crouched on the ground.  
  
"What's your name, child?" he asked, sneering at her.  
  
Jiyuna backed away. There were six of them, and only one of her. Besides that, she was injured. She could never out-run them.  
  
The leader of the theives looked impatient. "I asked you a question, bitch! What is your name?"  
  
"Fuck you!" Jiyuna spat out. Then, she turned, and ran.  
  
She didn't look back, she didn't need to. The pounding of six pairs of feet behind her told her they were in pursuit.  
  
The pain in her side was becoming unbearable. She pulled her hand away and looked at it. It was covered with blood.  
  
*I'll never make it.* The horrible truth struck her. *I don't even know which direction the palace is, how am I ever going to get there?*  
  
Jiyuna's breath was coming in ragged gasps. Her heart pounded against her ribcage rapidly, and she could tell she was losing steam. That's when she heard the voice.  
  
"Lekka… shien!"  
  
All at once, a flame came seemingly out of nowhere, setting the theives a blaze.  
  
Jiyuna stopped and dropped to her knees, her face contorted in a grimace of pain.  
  
"Are you okay, no da?"  
  
She looked up into a cheery face that also looked concerned. "I… I… don't think so," she said. The world was becoming dark and fuzzy. She could feel herself falling, and the last thing she heard before passing out was, "'Ey, Chichiri, let's get her to Mitsukake."  



	2. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 2

Author's Note: Once again.. I don't own FY or the characters….. but if I were a Miko.. I would definitely wish that I did!   
  
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Search for the Shinzaho - chapter 2  
  
"She'll be fine. It seems that the reason she passed out was more due to sheer exhaustion than the wound itself."  
  
The seven seishi, along with Miaka, were gathered around the girl, who had been laid in bed.  
  
"Who is she?" inquired Miaka. "She's beautiful."  
  
The others nodded in agreement.  
  
The girl looked to be about seventeen, with long, straight, dark red hair. The way the sheet clung to her body showed off her slenderness, as well as the sculped muscles of her stomach, legs, and arms.  
  
"Are we sure she's a woman?" Tasuki piped in.  
  
Nuriko whacked him across the head, sending him sailing across the room. "Don't be rude, Tasuki-chan."  
  
The bandit rubbed the spot where Nuriko had hit, grumbling a few vulgar words.  
  
"Okay, everyone," Hotohori spoke up. "Let us leaver her to rest."  
  
"Excuse me, Hotohori-sama."  
  
The emporer turned toward the voice. "What is it, Chichiri?"  
  
"Maybe someone should keep watch so when she wakes, she won't be frightened, no da."  
  
Hotohori looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you are right. Very well then, Nuriko, would you take first watch?"  
  
The violet-haired seishi grinned widely. "Of course, Hotohori-sama."  
  
"Good. Someone will come to relieve you in a few hours."  
  
The group broke up and went separate ways. Tamahome and Miaka walked hand-in-hand to the garden, Churiko went to study, and Chichiri dragged Tasuki - who was complaining about having a headache - with him to practice spells. Hotohori caught up with Mitsukake outside the room.  
  
"Mitsukake, that wound, did it look to you the way it did to me?"  
  
The taller man nodded solemnly. "Nakago…. I'd recognize it anywhere."  
  
*What could he have wanted with a young peasant girl?* Hotohori thought. "If you or anyone else sense anything out of the ordinary, come get me right away."  
  
"Hai." Mitsukake said. He turned and walked down the walkway toward his room.  
  
Back in the room, Nuriko settle gracefully into a chair he had placed beside the bed. He had seen the way Hotohori looked at the injured girl, that same praising, intrugued look he had given to Miaka. Suprisingly enough though, Nuriko was okay with it. He had finally given up on the gorgeous emporer, knowing that he would never love him the way he had Miaka. Nuriko looked carefully at the girl. She really was beautiful. Her dark red hair looked soft and silky, and her skin was a pale creamy white. She had high cheekbones and full, pink lips.  
  
Nuriko smiled. The newcomer's beauty rivalled that of even himself, Miaka, and Hotohori. For some reason, though, he did not feel jealous. It felt almost right. With that thought, he fell into a light, easy, sleep.  
  



	3. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 3

Author's Note: All disclaimers apply. Gomen ne, if it seems like a long chapter. I had no idea where to end it.   
  
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Later in the evening, Hotohori made his way to the room where Nuriko watched over the girl. He was somewhat dressed down, wearing simple robes with his hair tied low behind his back.  
  
Walking silently into the room, he noticed that Nuriko had fallen asleep in the chair, and the girl was still unconscious, as well.  
  
"Nuriko…" he whispered, fearful of disturbing the girl. He shook the thin seishi lightly. "Nuriko…"  
  
Nuriko opened his eyes, and saw a pair of dark eyes staring at him. He realized with a start that it was Hotohori.  
  
"I've come to relieve you, Nuriko. The others are already eating."  
  
Nuriko stood and stretched much like a cat, hardly becoming of a female. He almost became embarassed, but decided that he was too tired and hungry to care. Besides, the emporer was staring at the girl, anyway. "Arrigato, Hotohori-sama," he said, then left.  
  
He wasn't sure why, but Hotohori had the distinct feeling that he was supposed to watch over this girl. As a suzaku seishi, he protected the Miko, and somehow, this felt the same way. He folded his body and sat down in the chair previously occupied by Nuriko. Once sitting, he relaxed. He let his shoulders settle down to a comfortable position, and crossed his legs at the ankles. He ran a country, and so everyday, he had to keep a cool, dignified posture. He had done it for years, but his advisors forgot that he was only eighteen years old. Much of his childhood was lost in political matters. Sometimes, only for a second, he loathed bearing the weight of all the responsiblity. An emporer, and a suzaku seishi on top of that, but he still bore the weight. Whenever he saw how happy his people were, it made it all worthwhile.  
  
A noise brought him from his thoughts. He turned his attention to the bed, where the girl seemed to be having a nightmare. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she thrashed beneath the sheet.  
  
"Okaasan... No!" she yelled. "Stay away from her you Kojin! No! Bastard!"  
  
Her words caught Hotohori's attention. Kojin? That could only mean that Nakago did, indeed, have something to with the girl's injury. In fact, he probably had everything to do with it.  
  
"Okaasan!" she yelled again.  
  
Hotohori stood from the chair and moved the bed. He sat down on the edge of it and tried to gently soothe her. "It's alright," he said. "You're safe now."  
  
The girl awoke, sat straight up, and let out an ear-piercing shriek.  
  
"No! Get away! I don't have the shinzaho!" she fought against Hotohori, not knowing where she was, or who this strange man was sitting near her.  
  
"Oi, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you. I fight against the blonde one."  
  
The last sentence made the girl stop fighting him. She stared at him. "Against?"  
  
He nodded. "My friends brought you here when you passed out in the city."  
  
Jiyuna was confused for a moment, then she remembered. The theives, and the cheery faced guy who had helped her. What was that name… Chichiri? All of a sudden, everything that had happened in the past 3 days caught up with her and she slumped into Hotohori's arms, sobbing.  
  
"H… He killed my mother!" she choked out. "He demanded the shinzaho, and when she told him she didn't have it, he killed her! He just pulled out his sword, and killed her."  
  
The young emporer held her shaking body and stroked her hair. *The shinzaho* he thought. *What do you know, Nakago?*  
  
The girl pushed herself away from Hotohori, and sniffled once. She seemed to regain her composure as quickly as she lost it.  
  
"Gomen ne," she said. "It's been a long three days."  
  
"Don't be sorry." Hotohori smiled lightly. "My name is Hotohori, and they -" he pointed towards the door behind him a second before the others fell through on top of each other "- are my friends."  
  
The six friends all scrambled to stand up, their faces showing a bright red. Then, one by one, they introduced themselves.  
  
"Miaka."  
"Tamahome."  
"Chichiri, no da."  
"Nuriko."  
"Mitsukake and Tama."  
"Tasuki."  
"Churiko."  
  
"I am Jiyuna," she said, hoping to remember all their names. They were definitely a diverse group of friends, that she could tell just by looking at them.  
  
"Your Majesty!" a guard came running into the room behind the others. "We heard a scream, are you alright?"  
  
Hotohori got off the bed, sliding into his dignified stance. "Hai. Everything's fine. You are dismissed."  
  
Jiyuna's eyes widened beyond belief. "Emporer?"  



	4. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 4

Author's Note: As usual, I don't own FY or the characters, except Jiyuna. If you can stand it, I'd appreciate reviews… even if they are to tell me that this story is terrible ^_^ Arrigato!  
  
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He was beautiful.  
  
In fact, beautiful hardly did him justice.  
  
A tall, almost intimidating man, the emporer of Konan was breathtaking. His dark, mahogany hair fell well past the middle of his back, with loose strands framing his stunning face. His face, indeed, was stunning. Slender, with large, amber colored eyes, a small, upturned nose, and thin lips that rarely seemed to smile. His cheek bones were high and pronounced, and he had a strong, determined jaw.  
  
This was a man who fought like hell for the people he cared about, as well as what he believed in.  
  
Jiyuna had almost passed out again when the guard called him "Majesty," but when Hotohori dismissed the guard without much of a thought, she realized that he did not allow his people to grovel at his feet. He was an emporer of the people, and she was glad for it.  
  
"How do you feel, no da?"  
  
The odd voice made Jiyuna pay attention to the others. She looked where it had come from. A man, holding a staff had stepped forward. Jiyuna knew that face, those eyes, the ones that always seemed happy. This was Chichiri.  
  
"You." She smiled. "You saved me."  
  
Chichiri grinned, and pointed to a flame-haired man wearing colorful beads around his neck. He seemed to be in a rather grumpy mood, but no one had noticed. "Hai, Tasuki helped too, no da."  
  
"Arrigato, Tasuki. Arrigato, Chichiri. All of you, thank you so much."  
  
At the mention of his name from the newcomer, Tasuki's face transformed from grumpiness to embarassment. He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned, his fanged teeth showing. "Aw, don't mention it."  
  
"Jiyuna-sama, tell us what happened," Miaka said.  
  
Jiyuna cleared her throat, and her eyes became distant, remembering. "My mother and I live in the village right outside the city gates. Or, we did until three days ago. It was morning. I was in the bedroom, making the beds, and my mom was out in the other room, cleaning. We saw a bright blue outside, and then, the door just flew off the hinges and splintered everywhere. When the dust had settled, there was a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes standing in the doorway. He told us to give him the shinzaho."  
  
Upon her uttering the word "shinzaho," the seishi all glanced at each other. The girl didn't seem to notice and continued her story.  
  
"We told him we didn't know what he was talking about, but he insisted. 'Give me the shinzaho now, and I might let you live.' I told him to get out. We didn't have whatever it was he wanted. He smiled then. A blue light started to form in the palm of his hand, directed at my mother. I screamed out 'no!' and ran at her, shoving her out of the way. The ball of magic hit me in the left side, and all I could was fall, and watch as the blonde man walked to my mother. He grabbed her by the throat and held her against the wall. Again, he asked for the shinzaho. Mother told him that she didn't have it. The blonde man, with a cruelness only the devil could posess, pulled out his sword and stabbed her through the chest. I wanted to stay and help her, but I knew that I would never survive. The only thought on my mind was, 'Get to the palace, the emporer will know what to do,' So, I ran. I ran out the back door and into the woods."  
  
The others listened intently. Tamahome frowned. Something seemed very wrong, but what it was eluded him.  
  
It was Chichiri who said what was on everyone's mind. "What does Nakago know, no da?"  
  
"If we knew that, I don't think we'd be standing around the palace like a bunch of bakas," Tasuki replied.  
  
"NO! YOU WOULDN'T!"  
  
A flash of light revealed a small, floating woman with wise eyes behind the group.  
  
"OLD BAG!" Tasuki screamed. "You scared me!"  
  
"I'll do more than scare you if you call me Old Bag again!" she roared.  
  
Tasuki stuck his tongue out at the woman, and promptly got knocked on his back.  
  
"Wh - wh - what is that?" Jiyuna sat huddled against the back of the bed, frightened like a small child.  
  
Miaka smiled. "Oh, that's Taiitsu-kun, she's with us."  
  
"She's floating."  
  
"Well of course I'm floating. You don't think I'd walk here, do you?"  
  
The girl shook her head no. After all that she'd been through, nothing should surprise her now. Even old woman floating.  
  
"Can you help us, Taiitsu-kun?" Churiko's juvenile voice sounded.  
  
"Of course I can, Churiko," she said, softening her voice. "My dear Jiyuna," she floated toward the girl. "The shinzaho is what the Suzaku no Miko needs to call the animal god."  
  
"Suzaku no Miko?" Jiyuna turned toward Miaka. "That's you? That means that all of you are the Suzaku seishi!"  
  
Tamahome blinked. "I thought she knew that."  
  
"Apparently not," Mitsukake whispered.  
  
"I wonder if she knows that Nuriko's a guy?" Miaka wondered.  
  
Jiyuna was clearly confused. "Why would someone come to a peasant girl's home and demand something of such value?"  
  
"That someone was Nakago, Shogun of Kutou Country, and Seiryuu seishi," Taiitsu-kun said. "And, Jiyuna, you are no peasant girl."  
  
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Nani?"  



	5. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 5

Author's Note: ::sigh:: its actually coming along quite well… alas, I have not received any notes! :snifflesob:: thats ok, though… I'll keep writing in hopes that one nice reader will leave me a small note. ^_^  
  
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Taiitsu-kun floated closer to Jiyuna. "That necklace… the one you have had since before you can remember, the one you never take off. Where did you get it?"  
  
Her hand flew to throat, and she reached down her robe and produced a gold medallion with a bright green emerald set into the middle of it. "This? My father gave me this before he died."  
  
The ancient woman grinned. "You're only half right."  
  
The others were as confused as Jiyuna was. What the hell was Taiitsu-kun trying to say?  
  
"You're father did give that to you, but my dear Jiyuna… he's far from dead."  
  
The statement felt like a slap in the face. *Not dead? What is she talking about?*  
  
Taiitsu-kun, reading the much younger girl's thoughts, replied, "I'm talking about the fact that you are the daughter of the emporer of Hokkan, and you are wearing the shinzaho right now."  
  
Jiyuna felt sick to her stomach. It couldn't be true, there was no way that she could be an emporer's daughter! "B - b - but, my mother always said that he had died right after I was born from a mortal wound in battle."  
  
Taiitsu-kun shook her head. "He sent you both away for your protection, and thought that giving you the shinzaho would ensure its safety as well."  
  
Up until this point, the seishi had only listened to the two's conversation with an insatiable curiosity. Hotohori was the first to speak. "Princess Jiyuna, I bid you welcome to Konan Country."  
  
"Don't.. stop. I'm not a princess… I've lived on a farm my whole life. I am not worthy of such a title," she said. This was all too much for her to absorb in one day. Or was it night now? She didn't even know that. *If I give them the shinzaho, they can stop Nakago before he hurts anyone else.* With that thought in mind, her decision was made.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she looked at Miaka. "Step forward, Suzaku no Miko." Then, with trembling hands, she slipped the shinzaho from her neck and placed it ever-so-gently in Miaka's hands.  
  
The group uttered a collective sigh, but Miaka was bubbling over with joy. She ran to the bed and threw her arms around Jiyuna's neck, hugging her tightly. "Arrigato!"  
  
"Don't celebrate yet!" Taiitsu-kun's voice boomed.  
  
"Nani?" asked Miaka, still hugging the older Jiyuna.  
  
"You think it would be that easy, Suzaku no Miko? Now, you must depart for Sailo country to retrieve the other shinzaho. Only when you have them both will you be able to call Suzaku."  
  
Miaka's face fell. "There's another one?"  
  
The floating woman nodded. "And the Seiryuu are most likely already on their way to get it."  
  
Hotohori stood tall in the room. "Everyone, gather your things. I'll have the horses prepared. We leave at dawn."  
  
"Good luck, seishi," said Taiitsu-kun, before disappearing with another brilliant flash.  
  
"Ey, what about her?" Tasuki indicated Jiyuna.  
  
Everyone turned their attention to the still shocked girl sitting on the bed.  
  
"Jiyuna, may I speak with you, please?" Hotohori requested.  
  
"Hai, Hotohori-sama."  
  
The others filed out of the room and went off to get some sleep before the journey. Jiyuna followed the emporer to the bench at the end of the walkway that overlooked the pond.  
  
"My question to you, Jiyuna," he started, sitting down on the bench. "Is what do you want to do? Would you like to go to Hokkan Country and see your father? If so, I can send guards with you so you will be protected. Or, do you want to go to Sailo with the rest of us?"  
  
She turned to the super-handsome man next to her. In the moonlight, his hair appeared silver, and his eyes were lost in shadow. "I -"  
  
"Emporer!"  
  
A guard came rushing up behind them. Hotohori turned his head slightly. "Hai?"  
  
"I bring news. The Seiryuu went to Hokkan Country to find the shinzaho," he said. Then, he swallowed hard. "The Kojin killed the emporer."  
  
Jiyuna stopped breathing. *Killed? First my mother and the father I never had a chance to know?" Her heart dropped like a rock to the pit of her stomach. *I'll kill Nakago if it's the last thing I do!* She wavered, then slumped against Hotohori, unconsious for the second time in one day.  



	6. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 6

~~~Disclaimers~~~ :P I don't own FY (dammit) or the characters (dammit again).  
  
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Tasuki turned bright red and was seething with anger. "That fucking bastard! When I find him, I WILL kill him," he said, through clenched teeth.  
  
The emporer had just conveyed the news of Jiyuna's father's murder to the rest of the group. Tasuki started with a long line of profanity, and the rest just watched him, amazed, until Nuriko slugged him the chest. "Shuddap!" he yelled.  
  
"Are we still leaving for Sailo Country, no da?" Chichiri asked.  
  
Hotohori nodded. "We must recover the other shinzaho before Nakago does." He started walking away.  
  
"Hotohori, where are you going?" Miaka asked, her shrill voice cutting through the room.  
  
He paused at the door, but didn't turn back. "To check on Jiyuna," was all he said before disappearing into the darkness.  
  
*I hope she'll be alright* Nuriko thought, watching the emporer leave. He could tell just by the way he became uncomfortable at the mention of her name that Hotohori was in love with the newcomer. *That didn't take long* he laughed, despite the sadness that seemed to have taken over the palace. Maybe he never really did love Hotohori… maybe he just thought he did for Kourin. *Kourin… would you be jealous?* He shook his head. Such things didn't need to be dwelt on now. *Right now, all I need to think about is getting the shinzaho from Sailo Country.*  
  
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*So beautiful…* He lifted a slender hand, lightly caressed the sleeping girl's cheek. Then, he sighed. *I wonder if she could ever love me?* All his life, he had cast away so many simply because they were not Suzako no Miko. Then, when he did find her, he discovered that she was in love with another. And now, this girl comes along. This girl… this incredible, beautiful girl.  
  
Hotohori sighed again. What was he thinking? He had just met her, he can't be in love with her. Besides, he loved Miaka. Even as the thought crossed his mind, though, he knew that she could never love him back.  
  
The sleeping Jiyuna stirred, then woke. Woke, much more calmly than she had done earlier. Woke, and saw Hotohori standing over her, with a small smile playing on his lips.  
  
"Hotohori-sama, gomen ne for fainting on you," she said, feeling very embarassed. *What should I do now? Go to Hokkan? For what reason? My father's dead, and I have no proof that I am his daughter.*  
  
"Jiyuna," Hotohori sat on the edge of the bed. "Do not apologize for things that are not in your control. Now, tell me, how are you feeling?"  
  
She managed a half-hearted smile. "Okay, I guess. I have made a decision, though."  
  
Hotohori's eyes grew wide. He hadn't expected her to have already decided on what she would do.  
  
"I've decided that I am going to go with you to Sailo. My father is dead, and I have no proof that I am his daughter."  
  
The emporer cast his eyes down. "You have the shinzaho…" he started, then almost jumped when Jiyuna's hand found his.  
  
"No," she told him, squeezing his hand. "You have the shinzaho. I do not go back on my promises."  
  
He almost started crying. Not only was this girl beautiful beyond belief, she had the same kind of innocense and compassion that Miaka had. She would sacrifice herself for anyone, and would die with a smile while doing it. "You are amazing."  
  
Jiyuna grinned widely. "Hardly. I have a weakness for wonderful people."  
  
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Author's note: Gomen ne for the sappiness. I usually don't get very romantic, but I supposed a little couldn't harm… perhaps I was wrong… ^_^()  



	7. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 7

Author's note: Okay.. I realize that I have been a BAKA and been spelling emperor and Chiriko wrong.. Gomen ne ::kicks self for stupidity:: anyway.. welcome to Chapter 7 ^_^() the usual disclaimers apply, yadda yadda yadda, so, enjoy ^_^  
  
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Morning finally came, and as the sun rose on a brand new day in Konan Country, Hotohori had an overwhelming sense of peace and that everything would work out for the better. He joined the other six seishi, Miaka, and Jiyuna in the dining room for breakfast, and shared laughter with them as Jiyuna watched Miaka eat in fascination.  
  
"How can you eat so much?" she asked.  
  
"Huh?" Miaka paused over her plate, raising her eyebrows.  
  
Jiyuna grinned. "Forget it."  
  
Shrugging, the young Miko went back to devouring as much food as possible, completely oblivious to the other people in the room.  
  
"Will you be coming with us, Hotohori-sama?" Nuriko asked.  
  
Hotohori nodded. "My advisors are quite able to run the country in my absence."  
  
Nuriko looked at him questioningly. "You sure?"  
  
He shot her a glare. "Of course I am!" he yelled. Then, he cleared his throat. "Gomen ne, Nuriko."  
  
He stared at the emperor, deep in thought. *Are you ok, Hotohori-sama?* Nuriko thought he looked strained, and worry lines creased his usually smooth forehead.  
  
Hotohori caught Nuriko's worried expression. He softened his features. "I'm fine, Nuriko."  
  
After breakfast, everyone met outside the palace. Jiyuna was wearing robes Nuriko had given her from his cross-dressing days. She had thought that Nuriko was a woman when she awoke yesterday, and had become embarrassed when he told her that he, indeed, was a man. But, Nuriko had just smiled and said that it happened with everyone. Jiyuna didn't question about his cross-dressing, because, frankly, she knew it wasn't any of her business.  
  
The emperor's advisors were throwing themselves at his feet, begging him not to go.  
  
"Please! We can't do this alone!" they shrieked.  
  
Hotohori shook them off. "You did it when I was young. I won't be gone long, but it it my duty as a seishi to see this through."  
  
The other's grinned. Tasuki walked up behind him and clapped him on the back. "'Ey, Hotohori, I can watch after Jiyuna if you want to stay," he joked.  
  
Hotohori stiffened. "Thank you Tasuki, it won't be necessary." He walked over to his horse and mounted easily. The rest followed suit. It was then that Jiyuna noticed that there wasn't a horse for her.  
  
"Uh…."  
  
A hand reached down and touched her shoulder. She turned with a start and looked directly into the amber eyes of Hotohori. "You ride with me," he said. "We like to try to keep the number of horses down to a minimum, so Miaka rides with Tamahome, Chiriko rides with Mitsukake, and you ride with me."  
  
Jiyuna shrugged and grabbed onto the thin, but large hand of the emperor, and gracefully swung her leg over so she was sitting on the horse in front of him.  
  
Hotohori enjoyed the closeness that he achieved by having her ride with him. *Gods, she smells wonderful* he thought and a secret smile curled his lips. Then, the group rode away toward Sailo Country, hoping to get there before the Seiryuu did.  
  
  



	8. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 8

A/N: Due to the request of a dear friend, Miburui Tsuki, this chapter is somewhat dedicated to Nuriko. Since the group never went to Hokkan, and Nuriko never died, no one knows the reason for his cross dressing. I address it in this chapter. Hopefully, it's not terrible and I won't be condemned to hell for attempting this. ^_^() Anyway.... Here it is.. Chapter 8  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was near nightfall when the group finally stopped to camp. Jiyuna slid off Hotohori's horse and stretched her aching muscles. The others followed suit, and soon, they were building a fire and setting up tents.  
  
An hour later, Jiyuna had wandered off into the woods. She had so much to think about, and sometimes, the others were a little overbearing. They were always asking "What's wrong?" and "Are you alright?" Jiyuna was used to talking about things when she was ready to. Her mother had never badgered her with question, so these new-found inquiries were quite disarming.  
  
A hundred yards or so away from camp, she came to a river. Pure, blue water flowed freely over rocks, casting small ripples that silently lapped the edge. Smiling at the peacefulness of the river, Jiyuna sat on a large rock that overlooked it.  
  
She sighed heavily, and let her chin rest on her knees. She took a moment to appreciate her surroundings. The river, the tall, powerful trees that were covered in leaves and fruit, the songs of the many kinds of birds, all of them combined for a beautiful forest. Everything that had happened the past four days, all the pain, and anger and sadness, it all finally hit her in one terrible wave. It was the first time she could actually mourn her mother and the father she never got the chance to know. A sob escaped her lips, then another, and before she could even think about it, Jiyuna was sobbing. Tears spilled down her cheeks, soaking the robes where they covered her knees. *Why? Why me?* the thought ricoched off the walls of her brain, searching desperately for an answer but finding none. After what seemed like years, the tears stopped flowing, but Jiyuna couldn't get her sobs under control. Finally, she swallowed and hiccuped and dried her face with her sleeve. She could feel a headache coming on. One that wouldn't go away until she slept it off. She was about to head back to camp when a new thought entered her mind.  
  
*Hotohori* The gorgeous emperor obviously felt something toward Jiyuna, whether it be fondness, friendship, or something else entirely. *And me? How do I feel?* She laughed aloud helplessly and shook her head. Technically, she was royalty, but she had been raised a peasant. How could an emperor ever love her? Jiyuna was definitely enjoying the closeness between the two as they rode, but she knew that in the end, she would probably go back to the village and Hotohori would probably marry one of the many girls in his harem. *Probably* she thought bitterly.  
  
A rustling sound behind her startled her. She turned quickly.  
  
"Gomen ne, Jiyuna-sama. I didn't know you were here."  
  
"Quite alright, Nuriko," she said smiling politely, but she knew that her face was all red and blotchy and Nuriko would surely know she had been crying. "I was just thinking."  
  
The pleasant expression on the purple-haired young man faded into a solemn one. "You have a lot to think about, considering all that's happened these past days." He approached the rock and crawled up beside her.  
  
For a moment the two sat in silence. Nuriko knew better than to push the young girl, but he was dead set on being there in case she did want to talk. And, in all honesty, Nuriko had to tell someone the thoughts that had been going through his head, as well.  
  
"The day Nakago killed my mother was the worst day of my life," she confided. For some reason, Nuriko's presence was more that of an older brother than the seishi with superhuman strength. *Gods, thank you for Nuriko* she thought quickly. "But I feel as though my being here with all of you is meant to be. I can't explain it though."  
  
Nuriko swallowed. He knew that if he didn't say it now, he never would. "I understand completely."  
  
Jiyuna raised an eyebrow in question, but Nuriko was looking over the river, a far away look in his violet eyes as he remembered.  
  
"I was ten when my younger sister Kourin was killed."  
  
The girl sitting next to him gasped.  
  
"I went out one day, and Kourin decided to follow me. When she came running up to me, a horse went running past, and Kourin-" Nuriko broke off, unable to complete the sentence. He didn't have to though, the horror in Jiyuna's eyes told him that she figured out what had happened.  
  
"My father told me to forget about Kourin, but I couldn't. She was my little sister, and I loved her dearly. So, I went up to her room and put on her clothes. That was when Ryuuen ceased to be, and Kourin was alive and not dead. And since then, I have been Kourin."  
  
Jiyuna stared at Nuriko. He was still staring at the river, but was no longer trapped in the painful memory of his sister's death. "Nuriko…" she whispered, resting a hand on his slim shoulder.  
  
He turned to her, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. "Jiyuna-sama, I have finally accepted the fact that Kourin is always with me, and I don't need to be her to keep her alive. But if I hadn't become her, I never would have gone to the palace, and met Hotohori-sama, and Miaka might still be searching for the seishi."  
  
She nodded, understanding what he said. Even the most terrible of disasters may have a phoenix waiting to rise from the ashes. *How fitting, that Suzaku is a phoenix* she thought.  
  
"Thank you Nuriko," she said, pulling the young man into an embrace.  
  
He seemed shocked, then relaxed a little. "For what?"  
  
"For telling me about you. Now I know that I'm not alone, and you know how much it means to me." She was crying now. Nuriko clutched her robes, and allowed a tear to fall for Kourin. *Thank you, too, Jiyuna.* he thought.   
  
Their embrace was cut abruptly short by a loud scream. "It's coming from camp," Nuriko observed. The two ran as fast as they could back to the clearing in the forest where they had laid the tents. When they got there, everyone was engaged in fighting off guys dressed completely in black.  
  
"They're assassins from Kutou!" Nuriko screamed. "Get behind me, Jiyuna-sama."  
  
Jiyuna scoffed at him. "Back? Are you joking? These guys work for Nakago, and they're gonna get their asses kicked!" She ran at the nearest one and kicked him squarely in the stomach. The man fell back with an "Oof!" Growing up in the village, Jiyuna was fairly muscular, and she had learned some martial arts from the eccentric old man that no one liked.  
  
Nuriko couldn't hide the surprise from his face. *She may be a regular girl, but damn she's tough!* he thought. One of the guys tried to get close to Nuriko, but he grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the clearing effortlessly.  
  
Tasuki was cursing up a storm because one of the guys had knocked his tessen out of his hands, but when he saw the guy Nuriko had thrown coming at him, he rolled out of the way and watched as the airborne assassin crashed into one of his own men. He then grabbed his tessen and screamed. "Everybody down!"  
  
The others looked at him and dove to the ground. Jiyuna arrived a second late, unaware of what Tasuki was about to do.  
  
"LEKKA SHIEN!!!!!"  
  
She knew those words, but couldn't place them. That is, until a flame shot out of the iron fan and fried the assassins. *Yesterday in the city,* she remembered. Before she had passed out, she heard those words a moment before the theives had been fried just like the assassins were.  
  
Tasuki blew on his fan. "Sayonnara, ya bastards!" he grinned.  
  
The others gathered around him. "Good work Tasuki-san," Miaka said.  
  
"Will they send more, no da?"  
  
Hotohori glanced at the night sky. Ominous black clouds had begun to roll in. "No," he said. "Not tonight. Everyone, to the tents. There is going to be a storm."  
  



	9. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 9

A/N: Just a small note. In the previous chapter, during the conversation between Nuriko and Jiyuna, I was listening to the song "Somewhere in Between" by Lifehouse. If any of you have their CD, listen to the song and you'll understand why I said it. In this chapter, The song's "Breathing" and "Everything" were playing. And, near the end of the chapter, I nearly started to cry as I typed. You'll understand when you get there ^_^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hotohori was right. No sooner did they crawl into the tents then the rain let loose, the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled. Jiyuna poked her head out of the tent she was staying in and waved at Miaka who was 10 feet away in the other tent. Miaka waved back, until she was pulled through the opening by Tamahome. Jiyuna could hear them giggling.  
  
In the first tent with Jiyuna was Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko. In the other tent with Miaka was Tamahome, Tasuki, and Chichiri.  
  
She laughed aloud when she heard Tasuki screaming "I am not a fucking pillow, Chichiri!"  
  
"It wasn't on purpose, no da!" Chichiri protested loudly. "Miaka stuck her foot out, no da!"  
  
"Jiyuna."  
  
She pulled her now soaking wet head back into the tent. "Hai?"  
  
Hotohori smiled at her. "Get some sleep. We will be rising early tomorrow."  
  
"What are you going to do?" she asked.  
  
"Stand guard for the night," he replied. *Yeah, I'm going to sit outside in the rain because I refuse to let anything happen to you," he added sarcastically to himself. Pulled the hood of a heavy cape over his head and disappeared out into the raging storm.  
  
Jiyuna watched him leave, then looked around her. Mitsukake was already sound asleep, as was Chiriko. Nuriko, however, looked to be pretending to sleep. He sighed, then sighed again.  
  
"Nuriko?"  
  
He turned and looked her. "Hai?"  
  
"What can you tell me about Hotohori?" The question was said rather timidly, while Jiyuna's face flushed a light pink.  
  
*I knew it,* he thought. *But who cares? If they love each other, don't stand in the way.* He sat upright, and cautiously made his way to sit beside her. "What do you want to know?"  
  
Jiyuna stared longingly outside where the emperor said rigidly up against a tree, looking more than uncomfortable. He looked downright miserable. "What's he like? Is he always this selfless?"  
  
Nuriko nearly toppled over in hysterical laughter, but controlled himself so as not to disturb the other two sleeping seishi. "Selfless? Hotohori-sama? Are you blind?"  
  
She grinned at Nuriko. "Well, I mean, besides the fact that he's extremely vain. He has every right to be, he is very beautiful. But as a person, is he always willing to go out on a limb?"  
  
The young seishi sighed and nodded. "Yeah, he is. He may be an emperor, but he cares a great deal about his people, and all of us."  
  
After a long pause, she spoke again. "Nuriko?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Do you think he could ever love a commoner like me?" she said. It came out in almost a whisper, and Nuriko barely heard her.  
  
"Jiyuna." His voice was stern, and caused her to look into his incredible violet eyes. "You are anything but common. Look at how you reacted when the assassins attacked. You went after them without a moment's hesitation, even though that guy was twice your size."  
  
She grinned then. "Actually, I was scared shitless, but what else could I do? I don't hide behind people. I have never done that in my life, and I'm not about to now."  
  
Nuriko crawled back across the tent to his bed roll. "Jiyuna, it's completely obvious that Hotohori feels something toward you. Maybe it's time you both did something about it." Then, he laid down, and within minutes, Jiyuna could hear his regular breathing that indicated he was asleep.  
  
She yawned then, feeling suddenly very weary. *I guess I, too, should go to sleep.* Jiyuna laid down near the opening of the tent, and took one last, longing glance at the very wet Hotohori sitting under the tree. Then, she dropped her head down and was sleeping the moment her head hit the makeshift pillow her bag provided.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She was dreaming, she knew. Trapped in the past, there was her mother, her golden, smiling face standing at the fire cooking. Jiyuna felt tears sting her eyes. "Okaasan," she whispered. Then, her mother's face was replaced by Hotohori's. He was smiling warmly, dressed in his casual clothes, with his brown hair framing his face. Suddenly, the emperor's face dissolved and was replaced by the Kojin's. He grinned evilly and held up his sword, which was covered in crimson. The blood dripped off and pooled at his feet, where the lifeless form of her mother lay.  
  
Something was shaking her. "Jiyuna. Jiyuna, wake up." The voice seemed far away, and she couldn't take her eyes off Nakago. "Jiyuna, please, wake up."  
  
Then, Nakago's face began to disappear, and she realized she was back in the tent. Something wet was dripping on her face. She opened her eyes and saw Hotohori kneeling over her, his hands on her shoulders, his wet hair dripping water onto her face.  
  
"Hotohori." She wiped the water from her face.  
  
"Gomen," he apologized. "You were dreaming, and I was afraid you would wake the others."  
  
Jiyuna sat up. It seemed a lot quieter than it had been when she fell asleep. It took her a moment to figure out why. "Did the rain stop?"  
  
Hotohori grinned then. "Hai, and the sky is absolutely beautiful right now." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the middle of the clearing. "Look." He pointed up.  
  
Jiyuna looked up and let her mouth drop open in amazement. The sky was a velvet black color, but it was nearly invisible, for it seemed to be bursting with stars. There were so many of them, and it was a new moon this night. She didn't even think there needed to be a moon, the stars allowed plenty of light to see by.  
  
While they were looking up, a falling star shot across the sky. "Wow," Jiyuna whispered. Then, the story her mother had always told her about shooting stars caught her memory.  
  
"Hotohori, do you know the story about shooting stars?"  
  
He smiled, knowing full well what the legend said. His Suzaku symbol was, after all, the star. "No, what story?"  
  
"It's said that if two people see a shooting star while they are together, they will never be apart, and will be in love for eternity." It wasn't until after Jiyuna said those words that she realized what she was saying. Her face flushed bright red. "At least, that's what my mother always told me," she added quickly, hoping he would not catch the insinuation in the story.  
  
He had, of course, and Hotohori, too, turned a bright crimson. "I think that that is a very wonderful story," he told her. "Um, perhaps we should go to sleep before dawn rises and we are too tired to keep up with the others."  
  
"A good idea," she said. *Baka! What were you thinking, telling him that story? Now, things will be awkward between you too.*  
  
*Baka!* Hotohori thought. *You should tell her how you feel! Not that you should go to sleep.*  
  
Jiyuna turned to head back to the tent, but she slid on the still wet ground and pitched forward, right into the emperor's arms.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked. His hands didn't leave her sides, and neither of them wanted them to.  
  
"Hai, I'm fine," she said, looking up at him.  
  
Hotohori nearly gasped aloud. He had not noticed before, but Jiyuna's eyes were a crimson color. Before, when he had really looked her, she had been unconscious, so he never knew what color her eyes were. He made no move to step away from Jiyuna, and when she leaned in and rested her head against his powerful chest, he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
They didn't speak a word, and they stayed in the warm embrace for what seemed like years. There was no then, no desperate search for the shinzaho, no pain, no sadness, there was only Hotohori and Jiyuna, here and now, in an embrace that couldn't have been broken by the coming of the end of the world.  
  
Jiyuna felt all weariness leaving her body. All she felt was Hotohori's muscular arms surrounding her, keeping her warm, safe. All she could breath was the rain from his cape that almost overpowered her senses. All she could hear was his heartbeat, strong and calming. *Gods, I think I'm falling in love.* The sudden realization hit her. Her first instinct was to break the embrace and run off, but she wouldn't lose him just when she had found him.  
  
Hotohori sighed contentedly. Jiyuna felt wonderful in his arms. Even though it was he who was holding her, he felt like she held him as well. As though, no matter what, she would never let him fall. *Gods, I think I'm falling in love," he thought. This girl, this beautiful girl, made everything he did everyday worth it. All the sacrifices he made for this country, for Suzaku, they meant nothing compared to what he felt when he was around Jiyuna. *I will make you my empress.* 


	10. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 10

A/N: Usual disclaimers, blah blah. Got a bit of humor for ya now ^_^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Morning came very early for the group of travelers - Hotohori and Jiyuna in particular. Suzaku knew how long they had stood in the middle of the clearing. When the finally got back into the tent, Jiyuna had curled up against the emperor and fell asleep, surrounded by his warmth.  
  
Miaka awoke first by the loud rumbling in her stomach. She tried to move, but realized she was stuck. Sometime during the night, Tasuki had rolled and sandwiched her between himself and Tamahome. She pushed him away enough to dislodge herself from the sleeping seishi and went outside. She stood tall and twisted, her back groaning and cracking from sleeping on the hard ground. Miaka could tell that no one else was awake, so she wandered over to the other tent and poked her head into it.  
  
There, with his securely around Jiyuna's waist, was Hotohori. Miaka grinned from ear to ear. *They look so good together* she thought. Quietly, she exited the tent.  
  
Her stomach rumbled again, and she decided to start looking for food.  
  
Back in her tent, Tasuki felt cold. The warmth that been there most of the night was gone. He inched backward and came in contact with a body. Thinking it was Miaka, he slid himself close and fell back asleep.  
  
Tamahome opened his eyes. He was about to greet Miaka good morning, but instead was greeted by flame-red hair and loud snoring.  
  
The peaceful silence of the morning was abruptly broken by a very loud and very angry Tamahome screaming "Tasuki! Get the hell away from me!"  
  
Miaka, who had been frantically searching through the saddlebags for breakfast, looked at the tent just in time to see Chichiri scrambling out. Then, the tent began to shake and move, along with grunting and the occasional punch landing.  
  
"Hey! I thought you were Miaka! Sorry!" Tasuki yelled back.  
  
That did it.  
  
"MIAKA?!?! YOU PERVERT!!!" Another rustling was heard, then Tasuki came flying out of the tent, followed by an enraged Tamahome.  
  
The others, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Jiyuna, Hotohori, and Nuriko, ran outside just as the poor bandit was flung across the clearing into a tree.  
  
They all cringed. It looked like it really hurt. But, Tasuki stood up, his face seething with anger. "Baka! It was an accident!" Then, he lunged at Tamahome, tackling him to the ground. "Gen-chan always triumphs!!" he yelled, pummeling Tamahome with his tessen.  
  
"Ow! Tasuki! That hurts!" he shielded his face with his hands, only to get hit on top of the head.  
  
"Nuriko…" the deep baritone of Hotohori's voice sounded.  
  
Nuriko stepped forward. He had seen Hotohori and Jiyuna lying together this morning, and knew that something must have happened last night. He made a mental note to ask - or better yet, beat if out of - Jiyuna later.  
  
"Break them up, please."  
  
A wide, evil grin spread across the seishi's face. "Of course, Heika-sama." He walked over to the feuding guys and effortlessly pulled them apart.  
  
"There's enough testosterone here for a small army," Jiyuna muttered under her breath. Miaka, who was standing next to her, smiled.  
  
"Tasuki, Tamahome, why don't you two walk down the river and fill the water pouches?" Hotohori suggested, giving them a menacing, or-else stare.  
  
Tasuki's face went from pissed to scared. "R-r-river? As in water?"  
  
"Yeah, Tasuki." Tamahome sneered. "A raging river with white rapids."  
  
The mountain bandit turned white. He started trembling, but seemed to regain his coolness quickly. "Ha, that's alright. Let's go, Tama-chan or we're never getting out of this damned forest." He started off in the direction of the river.  
  
"DON'T CALL ME TAMA-CHAN!!!" he yelled, racing after Tasuki.  
  
The others busied themselves by tearing the tents down and getting the horses ready for riding.  
  
Jiyuna was helping Chichiri roll the bedding when a terrible, blood-curdling, woman-like shriek echoed through the forest. She jumped up, ready to fight whatever bad guy there was, but others didn't look very concerned. Nuriko glanced up, a wryly amused expression of his face, then went back to folding a blanket.  
  
"Nothing to worry about, Jiyuna-sama," Chichiri told her. "Tama-chan is just dunking Tasuki in the river, no da."  
  
She looked at him, confused. "Why would that make Tasuki scream like that?"  
  
Chichiri grinned. "Tasuki is terrified of water, no da."  
  
"Oh," she said. *That certainly explains the shriek.  
  
Hotohori had barely heard Tasuki scream. He was too enthralled with watching Jiyuna and Chichiri laugh over an inside joke.  
  
"It isn't polite to stare, Hotohori-sama," Nuriko said. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, nearly startling the young emperor.  
  
His face turned several shades of red. What could he say? He had been caught.  
  
"Look, Nuriko," he said finally. "She's smiling. After all she's been through this week, and she can still smile."  
  
Nuriko nodded. "We're all still young. It's good that she's beginning to get over what has happened. Now, when are you going to swallow your pride and tell her how you feel?"  
  
The last question stuck a nerve in Hotohori. He turned to him. "Dammit Nuriko, why must you always know what I'm feeling?"  
  
The slender seishi grinned. "I know more than that."  
  
The emperor raised a black eyebrow.  
  
"She feels the same way, baka."  
  
Hotohori felt all air leave his lungs. Nuriko laughed at him in amazement. *How could he not know?* It was completely apparent to him, and probably everyone else as well.  
  
The taller man frowned, feeling guilty. Here he was, thinking about Jiyuna, when he should have been concentrating on the task at hand, which was getting the shinzaho.  
  
A few minutes later, Tamahome and a drenched Tasuki came back from the river. A victorious smile was plastered on the blue-haired seishi, while the usually courageous bandit had a scowl on his handsome face and was muttering every foul word he could think of.  
  
The group mounted the horses and headed down the road. About a mile down the road, Miaka asked the question she had been dying to ask for a while. "How will we find the shinzaho once we get to Sailo Country?"  
  
"We'll have to go see the emperor and ask him about it." Tamahome told her.  
  
"But what if he won't let us have it?" she asked again.  
  
"Then we'll just kick his ass," Tasuki broke him. He had finally dried off in the sun and was back to his usual antics.  
  
Jiyuna leaned rather heavily against Hotohori. She was exhausted, and her side still was not completely healed.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
She looked up at his strong face, his proud eyes, his soft, silky hair. "Hai," she said. "My side hurts, that's all."  
  
"We could have Mitsukake heal it for you," he offered.  
  
Jiyuna shook her head. "Someone might need it more than me." She still saw concern on the emperor's face, so she added, "Besides, I'm a tough girl, I can handle it."  
  
That caused him to smile. "We'll be stopping in a village tonight. Perhaps sleep on a real bed will help."  
  
They rode on. The forest thinned out to flat plains, with wheat swaying in the light breeze. Jiyuna breathed in the cool wind, loving the feel of it blowing on her face. She looked up again at Hotohori, and saw the breeze blow his hair back from the side of his face.  
  
Suddenly, Chichiri was beside them, frowning slightly. "Hotohori-sama, I feel a strong chi, no da. It feels like Nakago's."  
  
As if in response to Chichiri's feelings, the horses began to get antsy. They pawed at the ground and snorted loudly, throwing their heads around.  
  
"Jiyuna, go with Chichiri," the emperor said. She knew better than to argue with him right now, even though she was willing to fight. She transferred herself onto the back of Chichiri's horse, and watched as Hotohori pulled his sword out.  
  
They started over a rise, and she had the distinct gut feeling that the bastard who had killed her parents was waiting for them on the other side of the hill.  
  
Jiyuna could not have been more right.  
  
  



	11. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 11

A/N: Anou… here's a new chapter. ^_^() All disclaimers apply, umm.. that's all I have to say.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The moment the group reached the top of the rise, a blue chi blast flew past their heads.  
  
Jiyuna froze behind Chichiri. That blast, that color, she'd recognize it anywhere. *Nakago.* She felt a twinge of pain in her side as she remembered the blue ball exploding into her skin.  
  
Chichiri had felt Jiyuna tense when the chi blast had flown by. He removed his mask and turned to her, his one good eye full of concern. "Jiyuna-sama…" he started.  
  
Jiyuna shook her head emphatically, hearing only Chichiri's voice, she hadn't looked up. When she did however, she stared into an eye as crimson in color as her own. The other one was forever closed due to a scar that extended from the arch of his eyebrow at an angle across to the top of his nose. She stared at him, not sure what to say or think.  
  
He spoke for her. "It's a long story, no da. But remember this, Nakago will kill you without a thought."  
  
She nodded. His voice was so deep when he was serious, it didn't sound like him at all. She was about to say something, when another voice interrupted.  
  
"Taking in peasants now, Miaka?"  
  
Jiyuna saw Miaka's eyes grow wide and heard the quiet whisper, "Yui-chan." She looked in the direction the voice came from, seeing an angry looking blond haired girl sitting on a horse with a young, light brown-haired boy. *They must have a history* she thought. It was then she saw him.  
  
He was sitting atop his horse, blonde hair fallen over a pure blue eye. He was glaring at Jiyuna, but with an amused smirk on his face. Nakago, the man who had murdered her parents in cold blood, was little more than 25 feet away from her. She shivered under his icy stare, why was he looking at her like that?  
  
Flanking Nakago on one side were the girl Miaka called Yui-chan with the other boy, while a tall, slender woman with auburn hair rode on his other side. Her hair was long and braided, and she wore a form fitting leather outfit. Behind them, were a slew of guards and assassins like the ones from the night before.  
  
"Suzaku no Miko," Nakago spoke finally, not tearing his eyes away from Jiyuna. "This will be as far as you go. I will not allow you to get to Sailo Country. You have the first shinzaho, do you not?"  
  
"Do not answer him, Miaka," Hotohori said. "Nakago, you will NOT stand in our way. We are going to Sailo Country, and we will get the shinzaho."  
  
Nakago smiled a little more. "Then, you will die," he answered simply.  
  
Another chi blast, directed toward Chichiri and Jiyuna, flew from the palm of his hand. Jiyuna could only watch it as it got closer and closer.  
  
"NOOOO!"  
  
Jiyuna felt a heavy body fly into her, knocking herself and Chichiri to the ground. She tried to sit up, but Tasuki had landed right on top of her. "Dammit," he muttered. "When are you guys gonna learn to fuckin' move when something is coming right at ya!"  
  
"Can we argue about it later, Tasuki?" Jiyuna asked, staring in horror as a wolf-like beast approached them, snorting and growling. The three scrambled to get untangled, but the creature moved closer, crouched down, and lunged. Jiyuna closed her eyes, bracing herself for the attack, but it never came.  
  
Just as the creature lunged, Nuriko jumped into its path, kicking it hard in the head. The wolf-thing yelped in pain, recoiling back from Nuriko for only a second. Then, it leaped again, claws bared and attempted to slash the seishi across the chest. Nuriko jumped up, flipped, and landed behind the beast. He grinned as the bracelets Taiitsu-kun gave him began to glow red. They grew and extended up his arm, filling him with a new strength.  
  
Chichiri, Tasuki, and Jiyuna finally picked themselves off the ground, and Tasuki went to aide Nuriko while Chichiri led Jiyuna over to where Chiriko still sat on Mitsukake's horse, while Miaka stood next to him, brandishing a stick in front of her. Jiyuna gave her a sidelong glance. "Miaka, I don't think that's going keep the assassins away."  
  
The young Miko jumped about 4 feet in the air at the sound of Jiyuna's voice. "Hyah!" she screamed, attempting to hit Jiyuna with the stick. Jiyuna ducked and grabbed the stick out of Miaka's hand.  
  
"What the hell are you doing? I'm on your side!" she yelled.  
  
Miaka smiled sheepishly, blushing. "Gomen ne, Jiyuna-sama. I didn't know it was you!" Then, she turned back around and watched Tamahome, who was trying his damnedest to fight off a dozen assassins who attacked him at once. Chichiri left the other three and went to help him.  
  
Jiyuna looked around for Hotohori frantically. *Where is he?* she thought. A clanking sound made her turn to her right.  
  
There, engaged in battle with Nakago, was a very angry Hotohori. Jiyuna watched with impressed fascination as he attacked and thwarted Nakago's attacks with great skill. Suddenly, remembering there was another seishi, she looked up at Chiriko. "Where's Mitsukake?"  
  
Chiriko pointed, wide-eyed, directly in front of him. Jiyuna's gaze followed his finger and saw the healer fighting off the small boy who had been riding with Yui. The boy had a weapon that looked to Jiyuna to be a yo-yo, but also looked a bit dangerous. He kept throwing it at Mitsukake, but the healer was quick and ducked around it.  
  
She looked back at the battle between the emperor and the shogun. She almost leapt for joy when Hotohori disarmed Nakago, but gasped when the latter blasted him in the chest with a chi ball. The emperor flew back and landed heavily on the ground.  
  
Jiyuna ran to his side, and saw blood seeping through his robes. "Hotohori, are you all right?" she asked, cradling his head in her lap. "Mitsukake, come quick!"  
  
The healer, thinking as quickly as he could, whistled loudly. Tama-neko came running at full speed and launched himself into the air, only to land directly on the young boy's face. The boy screamed and grabbed at the cat, trying to get him to stop scratching at his face.  
  
Mitsukake ran to Hotohori, and knelt at his side. "Hang on, Heika," he said.  
  
Hotohori managed a weak smile at Jiyuna. "I thought I had him." Then, his smile faded as a shadow was cast over him and Jiyuna.  
  
"You."  
  
Jiyuna looked up at the where the mysterious voice had come from. Nakago stood over her, an evil glint in his eyes. "I will take the shinzaho from you now," he said.  
  
She stood up and stared directly into his icy gaze. "Sorry… I left it in my other suit of armor," she spat out. She hoped to Suzaku that he couldn't see the fear that she was feeling at that moment.  
  
"I see," Nakago said. "Then I will just take you instead." He reached and grabbed her roughly by the wrist. His other arm snaked around her waist, and he dug his fingers into the wound. Jiyuna winced in pain and a yip escaped her lips. "Ah," he smiled. "I see this still hurts you."  
  
Jiyuna said nothing, but struggled against him futilely. She looked down and saw Hotohori, a fearful look in his beautiful eyes. He fought vainly against the unconsciousness that was coming on… If he could just stay awake… He looked once more at Jiyuna, remembering her face, then slumped against the ground.  
  
"HOTOHORI!!!!!!!!"  
  
The wail that rose from Jiyuna managed to make everyone stop fighting and look at her. She was crying now, sobbing while still trying to extract herself from the grip Nakago had on her. He dragged her toward his horse, ignoring the pleas she was sobbing out to let her go. She spun finally, and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. She saw Nakago stumble only slightly, a scowl come over his face. He pulled her close to him. "That will cost you," he whispered. Then, he picked up his sword from the ground and brought the hilt of it down on her head. Jiyuna fell against him, allowing him to lift her into the saddle of his horse.  
  
"If you wish to see her alive," he said to the rest of the seishi who were gathering around their emperor. "Bring me the shinzaho."  
  
"You fucking bastard!" Tasuki screamed, and started to run after him.  
  
"Soi." Nakago called.  
  
The woman in leather nodded. Then, she summoned a wall of fog to block the exits of Nakago, herself, and the others.  
  
"Dammit!" Tasuki screamed, stomping the ground angrily. "How could we just let him fucking take her!"  
  
Tamahome came up behind him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him, Tasuki. We'll get him."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Gomen nasai for the Miaka-like scream from Jiyuna, but I had to get the attention of everyone else. I'll try to restrict the constant name calling, donnae worry. ^_^  
  
  



	12. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 12

A/N: I'm attempting something in these next few chapters that have probably never been attempted before. If Nakago seems out of character at all, it's because I have tried to add a very human element to him. Ask Zen.. I have a thing for bad guys. Anyway, if he seems TOOOO out of character, feel free to tell me about it. ^_^ BTW: This chapter is bit long, mainly because, honestly, Nakago is so fun to write about. Also, I will be the first to admit that Jiyuna acts rather "nicely" to the man who killed her parents... and I don't have an explaination. But.... don't think I'm going to change it because for some reason, I really enjoy the interraction between her and Nakago. ^_^()  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jiyuna was thrown roughly into a large tent. Her side hurt like hell, and when she examined it, she saw the wound had reopened and was bleeding. "Dammit," she muttered. She looked around the tent. It looked to be Nakago's personal tent from the few articles of clothing that were lying around. They had ridden for hours, passing up every village, and finally stopping in a field. Nakago had ordered the many guards that went with them to erect the tents. Jiyuna had been tied to a tree until the tents were all put up, then one of guards untied her and brought her to the tent.  
  
She was still looking around when the flap of the tent opening fluttered. She turned, frightened, to see who had entered. There, bathed in shadow, was the tall, looming figure of Nakago.  
  
"Nakago," she said, her voice thick with fear and anger. He stepped into the torch light, looking different than he had before. He was no longer wearing his blue armor, but was dressed comfortably in white robes with a maroon cape. He swept his hand toward a chair.  
  
"Onegai, sit down."  
  
Jiyuna stood defiantly in the middle of the tent. She had to get out of here. *I have to find Hotohori* she thought. *Gods, I hope he's okay.* She finally met the cold blue eyes of Kutou's shogun. "What do you want from me?" she asked through clenched teeth.  
  
Nakago chuckled, his hard features softening for a second. "It's very simple. I get the shinzaho, you go free."  
  
"They won't give it to you."  
  
The blond man walked up to her, bent until their faces were less than an inch apart. "Oh, but they will," he whispered. "If that simpering emperor cares about you, they WILL give me the shinzaho."  
  
Jiyuna backed away, and cursed herself for being weak.  
  
Nakago stood, brushing off whatever thought had crossed his mind. "Just be happy that I don't kill you right now. Especially since you had the shinzaho and managed to get away from me."  
  
The young girl became irate. "I didn't even know that the necklace I had WAS the shinzaho! And at least I'm not a coward who goes killing people's parents because they didn't get what they wanted, you bastard!"  
  
She never saw the backhand coming. It hit her across her cheekbone, sending her flying backwards onto the hard ground. She grabbed her cheek, which was throbbing.  
  
Nakago was standing over her, still cool and calm. "You will not address me in such ways. Remember, I hold the power over whether you live or die."  
  
Jiyuna stayed on the ground. *How am I going to get out of here?* She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. It was then she realized that Nakago had not moved from the spot in front of her. He dropped to one and grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger.  
  
"Hmm…" he looked thoughtful, then snickered. "Maybe I will keep you around for a while anyway. You could be good entertainment."  
  
She shoved his hand away roughly. "Jiyuna does not entertain."  
  
Nakago nearly got a surprised expression on his face. "Jiyuna? So, that's your name."  
  
*Shit! You stupid girl, Jiyuna!*  
  
He smiled again. "Well, Jiyuna. It's late, and I need my rest." He grabbed her by the wrist and started to drag her towards his bed.  
  
"N-nani?!" She felt like a caged animal, scared, but perhaps slightly dangerous. "NO!" she screamed and fought him with everything she had. She clawed at his hand and arm, kicked his legs, and spat curses out like water.  
  
Nakago, however, did not even flinched. He practically threw her into the bed, and crawled in with her. Pinning her arms above her head, he lay on top of her to keep her from moving while he bound her wrists together with rope, and then tied the end of the rope to a leg of the bed. As he lay on top of her, despite the loathe that she felt for him, Jiyuna could not help but think *he's really rather good-looking, for a heartless coward.* Nakago saw how she looked at him, and stared directly into her red eyes. She stiffened beneath him. What was he going to do? She could feel her eyes widen to the point where they hurt. Then, ever-so-gently, Nakago lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. Jiyuna's head was spinning. *What the fuck is he doing?* she asked. The truth dawned on her, then. "Good entertainment," he had said.  
  
She tore her lips away. "I told you, I don't entertain."  
  
He smiled. "Could have fooled me."  
  
A loud, rather anguished shriek was heard right outside the tent. Jiyuna and Nakago both turned toward the opening.  
  
"I demand to see Nakago!" a female voice was heard.  
  
"The shogun wants no visitors," a guard informed her.  
  
Jiyuna looked back to the man who still lay on top of her. His eyes had narrowed to tiny slits. "Soi," came the whisper.  
  
Almost as though she heard him, a girl Jiyuna recognized as one who was with Nakago today, came bursting into the tent.  
  
"Nakago-sama!" she gasped, looking at him laying on top of the girl he had taken today. She glanced from Nakago to the girl and back again.  
  
The shogun pushed himself off the bed and stood before her. "Soi, you ignore my orders," he said. "You know I don't stand for insubordination."  
  
The girl became frightened and bowed deeply to Nakago. "Gomen nasai, shogun," she said, then lifted her head to glare menacingly at Jiyuna. "Nakago-sama, you shouldn't bother with her. I can raise your chi, that pitiful peasant can not."  
  
Nakago got an amused look on his face. "That pitiful peasant is mine, Soi. And what I do with her or to her is of no concern of yours."  
  
Jiyuna could only lay and watch as the leather-clad woman's face turned red with anger. "Fine. Have fun!" she said angrily. Then, she turned to Jiyuna. "And you… you better watch your back if you live through this." Soi spun on her heels and exited the tent.  
  
Nakago shook his head. What was with her?  
  
"It seems you're quite the popular guy," Jiyuna piped up from the bed.  
  
He turned back to her, opened his mouth, and closed it again. It was the first time she had ever seen the shogun struggle for words. Whatever he was going to say, he shrugged off, for he silently walked back over to the bed.  
  
Jiyuna winced when he got back on the bed and pulled her body against his. He had managed to grab her side that was still wounded and pushed against it. Nakago noticed her flinching, and pulled back the blankets to see blood where it had seeped through her robes. He sighed in annoyance. "I don't want you to die before I get the shinzaho, so I suppose I should have that dressed for you."  
  
She rolled onto her back to glare at him. "Hey, Nakago, don't do me any favors."  
  
He reached up and stroked her now bruised cheek. "Good, good…keep that fire in you and we'll get along famously."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Back in a small village near where the battle had taken place, the exhaused and somewhat injured Suzaku group gathered in one room.  
  
The young emperor of Konan, still unconscious, lay on a bed, bathed in sweat from a nightmare, a fever, or both. Mitsukake knelt in front of the bed. He put his hand out, and the others watched as green orbs spilled from his palm.  
  
The healer dropped his hand a few seconds later. "He's healed, but he may be out for a while. He was really exhausted."  
  
The others looked at their emperor, concerned. "The only thing we can do is get some rest ourselves," Tamahome said.  
  
Slowly, they exited the room and went to their own rooms to sleep. Chichiri stopped at the door and looked back at Hotohori. *I don't think we'll be getting much sleep tonight, no da.* he thought. He turned and walked grimly back to his room. *Jiyuna-sama, you better be all right, no da.*  
  
Back in the room, the sleeping body of Hotohori twisted and writhed beneath the blankets. Sweat covered him from head to toe, making his robes and hair stick to him. His face was contorted in a grimace of pain and sadness, and though there was no one there to hear him, a pained whisper came over his lips.  
  
"Jiyuna…"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She opened her eyes, blinked, and blinked again. Her surroundings were completely alien to her. A tent, with a few torches providing the only light. She was laying in a bed, and slowly, she came to feel another presence in the bed with her. She tried to move, and that's when it all came back to her.  
  
Nakago had forced her to remove the top of her robes - forced meaning he tore them from her body - to "inspect" her wound. Strangely, he had been nice, gentle even, as he wrapped her ribs with gauze. Then, he had gazed appreciatively at the half-naked girl sitting on his bed, wrists still bound together. Jiyuna remembered looking away embarrassed. Nakago had said nothing, though, only placed her robes back around her and pulled her down onto the bed with him.  
  
Jiyuna couldn't move, she realized, because Nakago had a strong arm wrapped possessively around her chest, she guessed so he didn't hurt her again. She shifted her body so she was staring at the Seiryuu seishi's face. *He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping," she thought. *Not at all like the murderous bastard he really is.*  
  
She scooted over to the edge of the bed, eased herself to the floor. Nakago's arm slid from across her chest to rest on the bed. She heard him move, so she remained completely still. He sighed, and turned over, gathering the pillow under his head.  
  
Jiyuna felt a wave of relief wash over her. She sat before the bed to begin work on releasing the rope where it was tied to the leg of the bed. It took her ten minutes before at last the rope gave way and she was free. Sending one last glance at Nakago, she snuck out the tent and started running. She felt a terrible guilt at not killing the seishi. He did, after all, kill her parents and hurt Hotohori…  
  
The young girl shook her head and ran faster. If she could get to the woods, she'd be safe, then she could make her way back toward where the battle had been earlier that day.  
  
She was running so fast, so blindly, she didn't see the figure step in front her until they collided. Jiyuna sent the other person to the ground as she fell flat on her face.  
  
"What the hell?" a feminine voice broke through the silence of the still night. The owner of the voice leaned in to see Jiyuna's face. "You!"  
  
Jiyuna gulped. "Soi?" She was silenced from speaking another word as Soi grabbed her tightly by the shoulders and hefted her to her feet. The taller woman glared down at the younger until Jiyuna felt she was 2 feet tall.  
  
"Hmph. I'm going to enjoy killing you." Soi said in disgust. Before Jiyuna could react, Soi's fist had launched forward, landing squarely in her left eye socket. She staggered back, clutching at her eye. Jiyuna shook her head, clearing the pain away. She smiled sardonically at Soi.  
  
"I was hoping you'd do that." Jiyuna balled up her fist, leaned back, and punched Soi in the mouth. The woman's head shot back, and when she stood upright, she spat a glob of blood out of her mouth.  
  
"Bitch!" she yelled. She threw herself at Jiyuna, but was jerked backward by an unseen force.  
  
"Soi, enough."  
  
The smile on Jiyuna's face faded when she recognized Nakago's voice. *Shit!* her mind screamed. She backed away, hoping to be able to make a break for it, but was surrounded by guards.  
  
The shogun stepped forward, holding a torch in one hand. "You disobeyed my orders once again. One more time and I will not hesitate to punish you," he reprimanded Soi. Then, he turned to Jiyuna. "Jiyuna, you should know better than to think I would allow you to get away so easily the second time." He walked to her and grasped her arm. "Everyone, back to your posts. Soi, back to your tent."  
  
The woman muttered something unintelligible under her breath and sulked off toward her own tent.  
  
Jiyuna looked up at Nakago. "You know I had to try."  
  
He nodded, leading her back to his tent. "I wouldn't have expected any less," was his response.  



	13. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 13

Author's Note: Okay.. a few things you should know...(1) This chapter is kinda long, gomen ne, but I feel it was necessary to keep all this together and not break it up. (2) In the next chapter will be a spoiler for the last episode of the series. If you have not seen the last episode, and don't want to know about Nakago's past, then I would suggest NOT reading the next chapter I post (that would be 14) (3) This chapter took me a few days to write and get together, given the fact that Nakago is EXTREMELY hard to keep in character. I apologize profusely now if I got him out of character at all.. this is, I believe, the third or fourth revision of this chapter in as many days. And (4) I don't FY or the characters. Ok.. note over....  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Jiyuna clenched her fists together, unclenched them, and clenched them again. She had iron shackles around her wrists and her arms were pulled above her head. Her arms had fallen asleep some time ago, so she did what she could to get the blood moving again.  
  
Nakago had left her in the guard's "capable" hands, which meant that, since she was shackled, he could touch her where ever he wanted to. Jiyuna had smiled when she realized they hadn't shackled her feet and the guard found himself speaking in a high voice for the rest of the day.  
  
Her eye hurt like hell. It was probably black to look at, and it was swollen completely shut. *So this is how Chichiri sees the world,* Jiyuna thought bitterly. Chichiri…. Mitsukake, Chiriko, Tasuki, Miaka, Tamahome, Nuriko…. Hotohori, she wondered if she would ever see them again. She felt sick, a terrible feeling in her heart that she would never be able to hear Chichiri and Chiriko's wisdom, Tasuki and Tamahome's fighting, Nuriko's advice, Mitsukake talking to Tama-neko, Miaka complaining about being hungry, or Hotohori's soft, strong, deep voice anymore.  
  
"How is your eye?"  
  
Jiyuna practically slumped in her chains. "It's fine, Nakago."  
  
He approached her, looking to be in a very foul mood. His blond hair covered his eyes, and his lips were turned down in a scowl.  
  
"Oi, who poisoned your sake?" she asked, noting his shoulders in a slightly hunched position.  
  
He said nothing. Only regarded her indifferently. He hadn't wanted to walk to the tent where he had taken Jiyuna after her fight with Soi, but he supposed that he should do something before all his guards began to sound like women.  
  
"Nakago, onegai, let me down. I won't try to run again," she was pissed at herself for pleading with the shogun, but she couldn't stand being locked up. It was the one thing Jiyuna hated. She shuttered visibly as the memory came to her.  
  
She was eight years old, and already had a reputation for being a tough girl. The village boys thought it would be a great joke to play on her. One day, while working in the fields, a few of the boys grabbed her and dragged her to an old abandoned barn. They had tied her up in one of the stalls where the owners used to keep their horses, and then locked her in, turned out the light, and left her there. The whole night she stood against a pole, tied to it, terrified. In the morning, after her mother had become frantic searching for her, one of the town elders had found her. Jiyuna remembered that she didn't speak for a week. After she recovered from the ordeal, she had beaten the hell out of al the guys that were involved. From then on, she had been classified as almost a freak for doing what she did.  
  
Nakago looked startled as Jiyuna broke down, sobbing and started thrashing wildly at the chains. He walked up to her and unlocked the shackles from around her wrists. The girl collapsed in his arms, nearly knocking him over. He got his arm under her knees and carried her back to his tent, completely confused.  
  
When Jiyuna finally got her sobs under control, she noticed she was in Nakago's tent. The shogun was standing over the bed where he had laid her, an odd look in his eyes.  
  
Mortification was all she could feel. She had cried in front of the one man she promised herself she wouldn't. *I am so ashamed,* she thought. *Never show weakness in front of the enemy, baka!* she repeated her number one rule over and over in her head.  
  
"Gomen… Nakago… for that undignified display of my own weakness," she managed to say, still diverting her eyes from his eyes. A flush of crimson crossed her face.  
  
*Gomen?* Nakago could hardly believe that she had apologized. He kept his cool and only nodded. If he tried now, they could still get some sleep until dawn. He grabbed her wrists and examined them. They weren't bleeding, but were very bruised from Jiyuna fighting against the shackles.  
  
She pulled her hands away shyly. "They're fine," she said shortly. Then, she lay back onto the bed, yawning. She barely saw Nakago crawl in beside her, because her one good eye was beginning to close from sheer exhaustion. She felt his arm go around her, keeping a safe distance from her side. Then, Jiyuna was asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was sometime before dawn when she awoke. The bed was moving, for some reason, and she could hear soft moaning beside her. Turning over, she saw Nakago, his head twisting from side to side, quiet whimpers disturbing the silence of the tent.  
  
Jiyuna knew she couldn't get away. The shogun had posted more guards to patrol along the woods, and basically had the camp surrounded, cutting off any means of escape she would have had. She sighed heavily, knowing she was stuck her until Nakago killed her, Soi killed her, or her friends brought the shinzaho. *No,* she shook her head furiously. *I don't care if I'm here until my life ends, I won't let Nakago get the shinzaho, no matter how bad he wants it.*  
  
The man to her left moaned again, this time more loudly. Jiyuna turned back to him. *He must be having one hell of a dream,* she thought. Then, he opened his mouth, and said the one word that meant so damn much to her.  
  
"Okaasan…"  
  
The young girl was completely taken aback. *Mother? Why would he be saying "mother" in his dreams?* At first, Jiyuna thought it only sounded like "Okaasan," but then he said it again, louder, and in a more painful voice.  
  
"Okaasan…"  
  
She sat up completely and got onto her knees. From beside Nakago, she stared down at him sleeping fitfully. Should she wake him, or let continue to go through the torment that was evident from his face? She was about to just let him go, to suffer like he had made her suffer, but something made her feel pity for him. Pity, for the man who had ruined her entire life.  
  
Or had he?  
  
Jiyuna forced herself to think as clearly as possible about her present situation. What would have happened in her life if she had stayed in the village? She knew she probably would have grown up alone, without a husband. Her own bitter laugh echoed in her head. Those village boys were such fools, locking her up in the barn, all they had done was make an enemy for life. After she had recovered, she never showed fear or weakness in their presence. In that respect, she supposed she was like Nakago. *Never let them see your weakness,* Jiyuna, somehow, knew that that was the daily code the shogun lived by. Something terrible had happened to him, just as something terrible had happened to her.  
  
Now that she was gone from the village, she knew she would never go back. *Why torture yourself, Jiyuna?* she asked.  
  
She was pulled out of her thoughts as a low, deep, tormented groan started in Nakago's throat. Going against her better judgment, Jiyuna reached down and grasped Nakago's shoulders.  
  
"Shogun," she said, loudly, hoping to wake him up. When he didn't respond, Jiyuna shook him. "Nakago!"  
  
Strong hands came up from the bed and grabbed her bruised wrists.  
  
"Ahhh…" she whimpered aloud. She looked down, and into pure blue eyes. Nakago had a strange expression on his face. He looked as though someone had just spoken his deepest secret to a crowded room. Seeing the grimace on Jiyuna's face, he let her wrists go, expecting her to release his shoulders. When she didn't, he sat up.  
  
"Why did you disturb me?" His voice was low, callous, a guarded expression adorning his handsome face.  
  
Jiyuna sat back on the bed, rested her arms on her knees. "You were have a nightmare," she said simply.  
  
Nakago glared at her. "I don't dream."  
  
"Tell that to your mother." She spoke without thinking, and immediately regretted her words. "Oh, Nakago, I didn't mean that," she apologized.  
  
The damage had been done, however, and Nakago wrapped his almost inhumanly strong hands around her wrists again. His face was actually full of anger, and when he spoke, the words cut through her like ice. "I said I don't dream, you bitch, and if you don't shut up, I'll let Soi kill you."  
  
Her mouth dropped slightly open. Something had definitely happened, else he wouldn't have gotten so angry. She pulled her wrists out of his grasp and crawled out of the bed. She laid down on the ground, hugging her robe tightly around her. *Might as well try to get a little sleep,* she thought, *Before I die.*  
  
But Nakago was still sitting up in bed. He had been dreaming, of course, but the memory was much too painful to even try to think about. He cursed himself for allowing the dream to even come to him. He kept it hidden away in the darkest corner of his mind. *Emotions cloud your judgment, only the weak show emotion.* Curiously, he looked at the beaten girl lying on the ground beside the bed. He had figured her to be one of his greatest conquests - after he had broken her - but it never came to that. The break down earlier took him completely by surprise. He frowned, forehead creasing in thought. What had happened to her to make her react like that?  
  
He cleared his throat, what the hell was happening with him? He felt…vulnerable, and consciously wanting to know more about this girl. He wanted to go walking, but he knew she would try to run the moment he stepped out the door. Nakago laid back down, sighing in frustration. He was.. feeling… too much. It has always been a point with him to act calm, cool, indifferent. No one was safe from his cruelness, he assured himself. But, then, his head dropped to the side and he saw the shivering form of Jiyuna, still lying on the ground. He knew she wasn't asleep, not even Ashitare could sleep on the hard, rocky ground. Turning his head purposefully, he stared up at the cream colored top of his tent. He willed sleep to take him, but it would not come.  
  
Jiyuna lay, freezing, in silent anger. She was angry with herself, first of all, for acting even slightly compassionate toward Nakago. He was a murderer, she kept reminding herself over and over, a murderer who killed her only family and messed up the life she had in the village. *What life? The life of living in fear, in solitude, afraid that people will call you bad names or give you strange looks? He may not have known it, and neither did you, but he probably saved you.* The words came out of no where, she tried to push them back, but she knew it was true. Nakago HAD saved her, but lucky for her, he hadn't a clue.  
  
She was still scowling at the open air, trying desperately to sort out the random thoughts that were bouncing around her mind, when a squeak was heard right by her head. She lifted it, and looked at the ground. A rat - a huge rat, with black, dirty fur, and small, beady eyes - was scampering across the ground toward her, squeaking and wiggling its tail.  
  
Jiyuna held back the scream that rose in her throat. Before she even knew what was happening, she found herself back in the bed, clutching to Nakago as if her life depended on it.  
  
Nakago was staring blankly in front of him, not looking at anything when he heard the squeak. He had turned his head to where Jiyuna was lying on the floor, but she was no longer there. In the second it took to tilt his head, she had thrown herself on top of him and was grasping at his robes, strange sounds coming from her throat.  
  
He scoffed, pushing her away firmly. Afraid of a rat? This girl, who didn't seem to be afraid of anything, was afraid of a rat? "What's the problem? Afraid of a little rat?"  
  
The girl was trembling, her fear nearly consuming her, but she focused on Nakago, on his mockery, his amused face, and not on the rat that she could still hear shuffling around on the ground. She took a few, deep, shaky breaths. "N-no," she told him. She wanted to kick herself. How could she convince him that she wasn't afraid of rats when it was so clear that she was? "It.. just.. startled me… that's all."  
  
But Nakago had figured it out. His mouth twisted into a sneer. "Hmm, afraid of rats. Pesky rats, that bite, and scratch." He reached up and played with her hair, his fingers pretending to be a rat.  
  
Jiyuna almost cried out as fear gripped her again. "Stop it!" She hugged herself tightly, rocking on her heels as a small child would.  
  
The shogun's smile faded and he withdrew his hand. Now, he was really curious. He sat up, facing her small, curled up body.   
  
"Stop? But I've just begun to play, my dear."  
  
She felt tears sting her eyes. Angry, frustrated tears that she forced back. No way in hell was she going to let him see her cry again. She looked around the tent, wanting to get away from Nakago, away from the tent, but the rat was still there, sauntering around the ground. *Hopeless,* she thought. *I'm stuck here.*  
  
"Why don't you leave?" He waved toward the opening of the tent. "The guards have probably all fallen asleep by now. Oh, that's right. There's a nasty little rat blocking your way."  
  
Jiyuna whimpered, Nakago went on.  
  
"Rats are rather smart," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. "Smarter than humans are, occasionally. They run from danger, and they bite and chew their way through anything in their paths... including people."  
  
The image of a rat gnawing at her sent Jiyuna's head spinning.  
  
"It happened when I was eight!" she screamed. Before Nakago could remark, she continued, her words flying rapidly from her mouth. "The village boys all hated me, because I didn't have a father, and I was stronger than they. One day they grabbed me and drug me to an old abandoned barn at the edge of the village. They tied me to a post in the middle of one of the stalls and left me there that night. All I really remember were the bats that crawled through my hair, the rats that scratched and bit me while they tried to climb my legs, the spiders that scattered all over me, and the cold... the dreadful, bitter cold…" she trailed off, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she remembered that night.  
  
Nakago listened in horrid fascination. "How were you found?"  
  
Jiyuna sighed. "The next day, after my mother convinced the village that I was missing, one of the elders found me. I didn't speak for a week after that incident. And when I finally left my house, I beat up the guys who did it to me. Ever since then, I've been an outcast in my village."  
  
Outcast. The shogun knew what that felt like. He forced the sadness that threatened to rise to surface away. He would not think about it, not now, not ever.  
  
But Jiyuna had noticed. She saw the fear and sadness that had crept into his eyes for a just a moment. "What is it, shogun?"  
  
He looked at her coldly. "What's that?"  
  
She gave an exasperated sigh. "You know what your problem is? You don't think about the most important things that happened in your life!"  
  
Nakago grabbed her roughly and threw her onto the floor, right beside the rat.  
  
"And yours is that you think about it too much," his voice was in its usual calm, deep, expressionless tone.  
  
The rat started toward Jiyuna and to her, she saw a hungry look reflecting in its beady red eyes. A scream welled up in her throat, and this time, she didn't hold it back. Right before the rat reached her bare foot, it's mouth hanging open, she was grabbed again by Nakago and pulled back onto the bed.  
  
"That was a warning," he said threateningly. "Speak to me in the manner you used earlier again, and I'll make sure you get chained up, in the dark, with the rats."  
  
The promise made Jiyuna completely quiet. *I can't,* she thought. *If he does that, I'll go crazy. I can't possibly handle reliving that night again.*  
  
"Good." It was almost a whispered. He reached out a hand and stroked her battered face.  



	14. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 14

A/N: Well.. the spoilers for Nakago didn't happen this chapter as I had suspected... gomen ne, readers, for the mis-information. The end of this chapter is pretty terrible, because the pace slowed down considerably and I just had to end it. Personally, I think this whole chapter is terrible... but that's cuz I'm the author and I'm supposed to hate it. ^_^() Anou..... here... chapter 14.. in all it's terrible-ness.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was morning. Jiyuna woke from a deep, dreamless sleep and nearly grinned at the welcoming sight of the tent being lit up with sunlight. She was warm, very warm, and after blinking her eyes a few times to adjust to the light, she realized why.  
  
Sometime during the night, Nakago had rolled on top of her, his face buried beside into her hair. His hot breath on her neck sent chills of pleasure running through her. Gods, the man smelled wonderful, the odors of vanilla and lemon intermingled, invaded her nostrils. She struggled against the comfort of her situation, even though it felt so damned good lying under him.  
  
*No, Jiyuna.* she scolded herself. *Don't think about that.* But, even as her mind said it, she was ignoring it. Lying still under the sleeping shogun, she unconsciously reached a hand up to smooth the soft, silky blonde hair back from his face. The unfamiliar contact caused him to stir, then awaken.  
  
He lifted his head from the swirling red locks of Jiyuna's hair, stared at her, an obscure expression on his face.  
  
Jiyuna's hand still rested lightly on his hair. She shyly pulled it away, waiting for him to roll off her, but he stayed there, that odd expression still on his face.  
  
"Nani?" she asked finally.  
  
"Why did you do that?" His eyes narrowed at her.  
  
The girl shrugged her shoulders, cast her eyes away from his. "I don't know..." she muttered.  
  
"After what I did to you last night, you still show kindness toward me. Why?"  
  
She pushed him, trying to get out from underneath the strong, muscular body, but he didn't budge.  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"Gods! I don't know! You're aren't such a creep when you're sleeping, ok?"  
  
Nakago's face fell. She had shocked him.. she actually shocked him.  
  
He was confused. This girl was making him feel things he did not want, nor have the time to feel, and why? Was it the smell of jasmine and peppermint that surrounded her like an aura and clung to her hair? Was it the compassion she showed all the time? Was it the tough exterior she put on that reminded him so much of himself? He didn't know. *Shimatta.* he swore. He moved off her abruptly, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.  
  
Silently, he discarded his robes - much to the dismay and embarrassment of Jiyuna - and put his armor on. He walked to the opening of the tent, turned back to the bed where she still lay. "Your friends will be coming for you today," he announced. "I'll have to decide whether to let them live or kill them." With that, he exited with swish of his cape.  
  
"Baka!"  
  
She rose angrily from the bed, cursing aloud. "Why the hell are you being nice to him, Jiyuna, he only killed your family." She began to pace back and forth in front of the bed. Would he really kill them? "Of course he would!" she answered her own question.  
  
A million thoughts and questions entered her mind. Should she try to escape again? What if she was caught? Surely, Nakago would allow Soi to kill her this time, in fact, he might even do it himself. But if she did get away, she could warn the others before they reached the encampment. Jiyuna wrestled with indecision.  
  
"Gah!" She gave up, feeling a headache work its way through her, and threw herself back onto the bed. It was then she realized she was still beyond tired. Pulling the pillow under her head, she curled up, hoping to get just a little more sleep.  
  
Just as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep, a pair of hands grabbed her by her hair and ripped her painfully from the bed.  
  
"Why don't we finish what we started?" a female voice sounded.  
  
"Soi," she groaned. *This is not something I want to deal with right now." Jiyuna was already angry, and Soi was not helping things.  
  
Jiyuna was thrown roughly onto the ground, moaned as a heeled boot dug into her back.  
  
"Come on, peasant, why don't you fight back?" the older girl sneered.  
  
The other laughed hoarsely. "Hmm, it couldn't be because you have your foot digging in my back, now could it?" Jiyuna managed to twist herself so she could grab Soi's foot, and pulled hard. She hit the ground with an audible "Oof!" escaping her lips.  
  
Jiyuna jumped up from the ground, and put a foot at the bared neck of the fallen Seiryuu seishi. "Do you really want to finish this?" she asked, a smirk resembling Tasuki's on her tired face.  
  
Soi opened her mouth to say something, but watched in amazement as Jiyuna flew off her into the nearby tent wall by an unforeseen force. She sat up, and saw Nakago standing at the opening, holding his hand out.  
  
"What the fuck is this?!" Jiyuna yelled. Her back pressed up against the wall of the tent, her arms straight, unable to move.  
  
Soi picked herself up off the ground, chuckling. "Are you forgetting that Nakago has powerful chi abilities?" She walked up to the immobile Jiyuna, and slapped her soundly in the face. She pulled back her hand for another one, but the deep, impassive voice of Nakago stopped her.  
  
"Leave us, Soi," he said.  
  
Jiyuna watched in wry amusement as Soi's face turned to extreme anger. "Nani? Leave you?"  
  
The shogun nodded once. "We have some... business to take care of."  
  
The tall, auburn-haired seishi dropped her head and sulked out of the tent.  
  
Still pressed against the wall, Jiyuna fought all she could against the power that held her. She heard Nakago chuckling, and paused her struggle to glare at him. "What's so funny?"  
  
He smiled. "It's impossible to break the bonds of my chi. Not even Suzaku seishi can."  
  
A low growl formed in her throat. "What.. 'business' do we have, Nakago?"  
  
Nakago approached her, his sapphire-like eyes locked on hers. "A spy informed that the Suzaku seishi and the Miko will not be coming today."  
  
Jiyuna's eyes widened. Not coming? They really didn't care, did they?  
  
He saw the look on her face, considered reaffirming her obvious doubts...then decided against it, simply shook his head. "Your emperor, Hotohori, has fallen ill, and the healer is still too weak from curing his other injury to heal him. They have postponed their 'rescue' until tomorrow."  
  
She sighed in relief, wanted to wipe the sweat that had formed on her forehead. Nakago saw this.  
  
"Oh, do not worry, Jiyuna-sama. They will come for you. The difference between they and me is that they will never leave one of their own in the hands of the enemy."  
  
Jiyuna stared at him for a long moment. "Let me down," she said, her voice even.  
  
A harsh laugh from Nakago filled the tent. "Let you down? But I like you here..." his voice became soft. He strode up to her, traced a finger down her jaw line. "You don't like it here?"  
  
She couldn't breathe. She hated him, hated this man with all her soul... but his touch... gods, his touch! Jiyuna felt her resolve beginning to weaken, her intense fight against his chi dwindle, and finally, her body give itself to whatever he had planned.  
  
Nakago trailed his finger across her lips, smiled again, and... turned away? *What the-?* she thought, completely confused as he walked out of the tent without another word. A few moments, the chi bonds dissolved and she fell to the ground with a soft thud.  
  
She sat on the ground, staring at the opening, half-expecting him to come back in. *This man is going to drive me completely insane!* the thought screamed inside her head. It was then, while she sat dumbfounded on the hard ground, that she remembered what he had said.  
  
*Hotohori is ill?" Her mind reverted back to the night they had bonded in the woods, staring at the stars. She felt ashamed. *How could I be enjoying being a captive of Nakago?* Hotohori had strong feelings for her, Nuriko had told her so, and she knew she felt something toward the handsome emperor, but that was before Nakago...  
  
*Before Nakago?!* Jiyuna slapped herself in the head. How could she keep forgetting that he was the enemy? Nakago was the boogie man parents told their children about, and here she was, feeling Suzaku-knows-what for him! She grumbled something aloud that sounded much like "damned men" and leaned heavily against the wall. Her thoughts drifted to the fact that she was starving and really needed to bathe.  
  
These new, much less numbing ideas caused her to get up and see if there were any guards outside the tent. She poked her head out and was immediately reprimanded by three of them.  
  
"Lord Nakago says you aren't to come out."  
  
She sighed. "Well, go tell LORD Nakago that his captive is starving and would also like a bath... IF..." she added haughtily. "that's alright with him." Then, she turned and went back into the tent.  
  
Nearly ten minutes later, a guard came into the tent with a tray of food. "Lord Nakago apologizes for neglecting you.. but he's engaged with planning."  
  
Jiyuna grabbed the tray from the overweight guard. "The shogun shouldn't apologize for stupid things," she commented.  
  
The guard gazed at her with a semi-frightened expression on his face. "Anou... he said you will be taken to the lake to bathe soon." He bowed quickly and practically ran out of the tent,  
  
The famished girl scarfed down her food much like Miaka did all the time. When she was finished, she sat down on the bed and waited, and warm feeling going through her at the thought of being clean.  
  
Finally, when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, Nakago entered the tent. "You wanted to bathe?"  
  
She nodded. "I know you don't want a dirty girl in your bed," she said.  
  
He spun around. "Follow me."  
  
The two walked to the lake in silence. Jiyuna stared at his back, he was in a normal mood when he had broken up the fight between Soi and herself, but something must have happened between then and now.  
  
They reached the lake, and Jiyuna stared at it for a moment. Clear blue water rested, unmoving, against the backdrop of a gigantic, snow-peaked mountain. "Wow," she whispered, her mouth forming a perfect O.  
  
"I will put a chi field around the lake after you get in. That way, you can't run away, and you'll have a little privacy." He cast her a side-long glance.  
  
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. *Ah, what the hell...* she thought to herself before dropping her robes and diving into the clear blue water. The moment she was in, she saw the blue light emanate from his hand, and the lake was sealed. That done, Nakago walked back up toward the encampment, leaving Jiyuna peacefully alone.  
  
The cold, crisp water felt wonderful against her skin. She washed the grim of the last few days away using a strip of her robe. The bottom had fallen into the lake and was not sealed away from her by Nakago's chi field.  
  
When she had finished, she swam laps around the lake, waiting for Nakago to return and lift the field. On her tenth lap, she heard the unmistakable voice of the Kutou shogun. "You're time is up." He dissolved the field around the lake and held a large blue robe open for Jiyuna to wear. She slid into it, her long wet hair cascading down the back.  
  
The two said nothing as they walked back up, and Jiyuna was escorted back into the tent. She had looked at the sun before stepping into the tent, and saw that it was near dinner time. *I spent nearly a whole day in the lake?* It hadn't felt very long to her, but the sun told her differently.  
  
More food was brought to her, then she decided to lay down for some sleep before Nakago came back and they went another round or so with threatening each other and fighting.  



	15. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 15

Author's Note: Ok.. This chapter sucks terribly by my standards, but I figured if I could muddle through it, then I could to the next one quicker. ::grin:: anyway.. the Nakago spoiler I had been talking about won't happen.. there just isn't any room for it in the story. Gomen nasai for the long wait... I've had extreme writer's block. ^_^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 15  
  
  
It was dark when Jiyuna finally woke up. The torches had been lit, their flames sending shadows dancing across the walls of the tent, each dance different than the previous. She didn't know what time it was, or how long she had slept, but she felt refreshed, ready to take on whatever it was that was coming.  
  
*Speak of the devil* she thought, as Nakago walked into the tent, looking a bit tired.  
  
"Long day?" she asked, her voice sickingly sweet, as she sat up.  
  
Nakago ignored her as he removed his armor, leaving him in a pair of blue pants and a white shirt. Jiyuna sighed heavily. She was really in no mood for his manipulations tonight, but she remained silent, hoping to avoid a confrontation.  
  
"When your friends arrive tomorrow, they will give me the shinzaho, then I will kill them," he said, not bothering to look at her.  
  
Jiyuna felt the blood in her veins begin to boil. Anger like she had never felt in her life welled up and exploded from her. She bolted from the bed, attempting to... do what? Hit him? It didn't matter... she leapt at the shogun, trying to tackle him, or scratch him, or kick him... anything she could. But, before she even reached him, she was thrown back into the wall by his chi.  
  
"Well, if this isn't familiar?" He smiled.  
  
She was irate. He was going to kill her friends, and she could do nothing about it because of his damned chi! Furiously, she thrashed her head back and forth, desperately trying to break his bonds. Nakago was before her in an instant, holding her head between his hands. "Now, now, Jiyuna... don't hurt yourself. I've told you, the bonds are far too powerful for you to break."  
  
"Just... because... you tell me... something..." she managed. "Doesn't mean... I won't... try."  
  
A hand that was still on the side her head silenced her as it caressed her cheek. "Wh-what are you doing Nakago?" she asked, alarm evident in her voice. Her bright red eyes were as wide as saucers.  
  
"Just once," he whispered hoarsely. "I want to feel." His usually expressionless blue eyes were locked on hers, filled with an emotion that both scared and relieved her. Need.  
  
"N-N-N-Nakago..." Jiyuna's voice trembled. If he kissed her, then it would all be over. There'd be no fighting back, no struggle. She would simply let him.  
  
Then, just when she knew it would happen, Nakago leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against hers. A thousand thoughts raced through her brain. It was wrong, she knew, so very wrong... but it felt right. The chi restraints disintegrated, and she fell from the wall right into his arms. Still kissing, the shogun carried her over to the bed and gently laid her in between the covers. He broke off the kiss for a second to remove his shirt, then his mouth invaded hers again. His mouth tasted just like he smelled, and she suspected hers did, too.  
  
A brief, fleeting image of Hotohori flashed in her mind. What was she doing? This was Nakago... evil Seiryuu seishi who killed for the sheer joy of it... a man who had murdered her parents. *So what?* a small voice in the back of her mind spoke up. *There's just something about him...*  
  
He paused to stare at her, at the beauty exuding from her. He couldn't help feeling the way he did around her, but he knew he should. And why was she letting him? He had killed her mother, and injured her precious Konan emperor, yet she was as willing as he was. He nearly started as she reached at hand up to run her fingers down his chest. The touch sent tingles through him. The same hand reached up again to grip the back of his neck and pull him down to her for another kiss.  
  
The air in the tent was heavy with lust as the two satisfied the hunger that had been burning within them for 2 days. Both knew that by tomorrow, they would never be together. Nakago would not kill the others, and Jiyuna would go back with them, but for one night, they could pretend that the circumstances were different and just enjoy being with one another.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jiyuna woke in a cold sweat. She leapt from the bed frightfully, stared at it. Then, it dawned on her.  
  
*It was a dream." She laughed helplessly. "A fuckin' dream!" she yelled aloud. Relief gripped her. She did not spend the night with Nakago, nothing happened... in fact, only a few hours had passed since she bathed in the lake. Sitting on the ground in the middle of the tent, Jiyuna dropped her head into her hands. "Great Suzaku," she muttered.  
  
She saw nothing of Nakago the rest of the afternoon, and as dusk rose, she hoped he wouldn't be around.  
  
Then, a familiar voice rang in her ears.  
  
"Baka!" the harsh whisper came. "What are you doing in there? Let's go!"  
  
A smile broke across Jiyuna's face. "Nuriko!" She walked to the opening of the tent and saw the two guards lying unconscious on the ground, and a triumphant grin on Nuriko's face.  
  
"Where are the others?" she asked, looking around.  
  
"You mean, where's Hotohori-sama, don't you?" the violet-haired seishi winked at her.  
  
Jiyuna felt a blush creep to her cheeks. "Yeah..."  
  
A finger pointed behind her, to the nearby woods. "Waiting for us, so.. if you've finished up here..."  
  
The young girl practically sprinted into the woods. "Hotohori-sama!"  
  
"Jiyuna..." the young emperor stood from where he had been, a small smile playing on his lips. He enfolded Jiyuna in his muscular arms. "I'm glad to see you're well."  
  
She buried her face into his robes. "More than well. Hotohori, there's something I want to tell you - "  
  
"It'll have to wait, no da!" Chichiri broke in. "Nakago's men are awake and they know you're gone, na no da!"  
  
"Come, everyone, we must get back to the village." Hotohori released Jiyuna and straightened.  
  
The group crept through the woods to a clearing where they had the horses. They mounted and rode quickly back to the village where they had stopped the night before.  



	16. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 16

A/N: Ok.. I know that the last chapter was less than good… in fact.. it sucked ::grin:: but that's ok.. cuz I'm moving on to bigger and better things (yeah.. right). So… ya'll enjoy this next chapter… and for the record…. IT'S ALL BON JOVI'S AND LIFEHOUSE'S FAULTS!!!!  
  
PS (I wish I wish I wish) I do not own Fushigi Yuugi (I wish I wish I wish) or the characters (I really wish I really wish I really wish) but I do own Jiyuna (Oh, big deal)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Night had already fallen when the seven seishi, Miaka, and Jiyuna rode into town. They dismounted their horses and left them with the stable boy, and went to get rooms for the evening.  
  
The innkeeper regarded them wearily, but said nothing as Hotohori requested two rooms and handed him the money. Bowing just slightly, he led the group down the hall where the rooms were right next to each other.  
  
"Tamahome, Miaka, Chiriko, Mitsukake, you stay in this room." That left Nuriko, Jiyuna, Chichiri, Tasuki and himself to the other room, which was bigger. The group split up without much talking, for they were all tired.  
  
Jiyuna glanced around the room as she walked in. It was simple, but much more elegant than her room in the village. The walls were white, as was the ceiling, the floor was made of hard wood, but there was a soft, cushion-like carpet stretched over it. The bed was large enough for two people comfortably, three or four if they slept extremely close together.  
  
A noise made Jiyuna look at the floor again, and she saw that Tasuki, Chichiri, and Nuriko were all already sound asleep, curled up on the soft carpet. A smile broke out on her face, and she shook her head, wandered over to the window.  
  
The moon was large in the sky tonight. She stared in amazement at the number of stars that were visible despite it's brightness. A hand touched her back, and she nearly jumped from it, but then Hotohori's soothing voice was in her ear.  
  
"He didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
Jiyuna turned to him, gazed up at his glowing eyes, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips. "No, he didn't."  
  
Hotohori left out the breath he had been holding. Then, he looked concerned. "But, the bruises…" his fingers barely grazed her swollen cheek.  
  
"Oh, those." She had nearly forgotten about them in her joy of being away from Nakago. "Soi became a little jealous that Nakago had me staying in his tent."  
  
The emperor nearly toppled over. Jiyuna saw his expression and realized what she had said. "Hotohori, nothing happened."  
  
He relaxed then, pulled her into him, hugging her tightly. "I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again."  
  
Burying her face in the folds of his robes, she sighed. *The same goes for me,* she thought. She pulled away and looked at him quizzically. "They said you were ill, and that you'd be coming tomorrow."  
  
Hotohori chuckled. "That spy was so obvious, so we made it look as thought I were sick, and then Chichiri said very loudly that we'd be leaving tomorrow."  
  
"But, if all of you were there, why didn't Nakago know? Couldn't he have felt your chi?"  
  
He shook his head. "Again, Chichiri. He learned a new way to bring chi down to make it undetectable."  
  
Jiyuna turned back to the window, but intertwined her fingers with Hotohori's. "Wow, you thought of everything."  
  
The young emperor wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his head on her shoulder. "I tried my hardest to get them to go after you the first night, but they refused to leave me."  
  
She tilted her own head against his. "I'm all right, Hotohori. These bruises will heal, and so will the pain of my parents deaths."  
  
Hotohori spun her around to face him. He lifted a hand, ran it through her beautiful red locks, smiled. "Just when I think I have you figured out, you say something that completely shocks me."  
  
"Hotohori, you're the emperor, you aren't supposed to be shocked by anything," she teased. She glanced at the floor, made sure the others will still asleep. When she looked back up, the emperor's eyes had taken on an intense look.  
  
Jiyuna could only stare at him, at his soft, silken brown hair framing his stunning face, at those eyes, full of so much intensity. "I -"  
  
But a finger placed over her lips silenced her. "Just listen, Jiyuna."  
  
She listened, but heard nothing but the steady breathing of the sleeping seishi. She was about to ask him what he meant, when a faint thud was heard.  
  
Then another.  
  
And another.  
  
It took her a minute to realize that it was their hearts, beating in perfect synchronization. His strong and powerful, hers light and graceful. She felt his hand slide under chin, brought her head up. She watched him lower his head, and place his lips ever so gently over hers.  
  
Hotohori was in heaven. The taste, the smell, the feel, everything about that one kiss felt more than perfect, and he found himself pulling away, making sure she was really standing her in front of him. When he saw that she was, and her hand reach around the back of his neck to pull him down again, he wanted to cry. Sob, in fact. Sob for joy, for he had found what he had been looking for all his life. Someone to love him for him, and not for his being the emperor.  
  
These thoughts in his head, he lifted Jiyuna in his powerful arms and carried over the unoccupied bed. *Not tonight,* he vowed. *But soon. Soon, I will make her mine forever.*  
  
As Jiyuna fell asleep in Hotohori's arms, he laid awake, staring at her. *What if she does not love me?* the thought sprang into his head. He wanted to stare at her as long as he could, because in the morning, when she was rested, she would tell him that it was a mistake, he knew she would.  
  
She snuggled closer to him. "Hotohori…" she murmured.  
  
"Hai?" he whispered.  
  
"Oyasumi," she said. "Don't leave me tonight, onegai. Don't leave me, ever."  
  
The young emperor enfolded her tighter in his arms, felt a tear form in his eye. "I won't," he promised. "I'll never leave you."  



	17. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 17

Author's note: Konbanwa! Tis I, Kokkei, back again with another chapter! ::sweatdrops at lack of enthused readers:: eh.. he... anyway.. standard disclaimers apply... I apologize for the mushiness of the last chapter, but I guess it had to be done. ^_^ Here's the next installment.. and yeah.. it's rather short, only because it was a good place to stop. ::grin::  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*  
  
Nakago paced the length of his tent. How did they do it? He was sure he would have felt their chi's, known they were coming, but there was nothing. It pissed him off, knowing they were able to sneak her out without his knowledge.  
  
Her.  
  
Jiyuna.  
  
He sighed angrily and slumped into the chair in front of his planning table. She had been on his mind all morning, since she bathed in the lake. Nakago closed his eyes, the image of her, slick with water, glowing in the sunlight, entered his mind. He hit the table hard with his fist, heard the cracking of the wood. He shouldn't be feeling this way about this girl.  
  
But... she was unlike any girl he had ever met. She was compassionate, caring, and at the same time, fiesty and strong.  
  
Nakago realized that a smile had appeared on his usually blank face. He jumped up from the chair so quickly, it flipped over. Ignoring it, he threw aside the curtain that hung over his door and stomped off, hoping a brisk walk and blasting things would get her off his mind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jiyuna awoke first, blinked. She was warm, so warm. She turned slightly, half-expecting to see Nakago laying beside her. Instead, she was greeting by dark, chestnut hair and the smooth, defined features of Hotohori. Grinning, she snuggled closer to him, relishing the moment.  
  
Sunlight streamed through the window, landing on the seishi sprawled out on the floor. Jiyuna looked at them, nearly laughing aloud. Tasuki was snoring, quite loudly, but his head was covered by a pillow. *Nuriko must have shoved it over his face sometime during the night,* she thought, amused. It was then she realized that Chichiri was missing.  
  
Easily, so she didn't wake the sleeping emperor, she slid out of the bed and made her way to the door. There were things she wanted to talk to the monk about, anyway.  
  
It didn't take her long to find him. He was sitting on a bridge over a river, fishing pole in hand. Jiyuna approached him, swung her muscular legs over the railing, and sat beside him.  
  
"Fishing, meditating, or both?"  
  
He turned to her, a slightly surprised expression on his incessantly happy face. "Both," he answered. "Why are you awake so early, no da?"  
  
An audible sigh escaped her lips. "Confusion, stress, you name it."  
  
Chichiri looked back to the river. "About Hotohori?"  
  
Jiyuna started. "How did you-?" It hit her then. "You weren't asleep last night."  
  
He shook his head, a flush crossing his cheerful features. "Gomen ne, Jiyuna-san, no da."  
  
"It's all right, Chichiri. In fact, you hearing Hotohori and I talk last night is the least of my concerns." She cast her eyes down, fiddled with the waistband of her robe. When she looked back up, a pained expression reflected in the crimson of her eyes. "Do you think he could ever love me?"  
  
The blue-haired monk rested a hand on her shoulder. "He already does, no da." His voice had lowered an octave, causing Jiyuna to look at him. The mask he wore lay disposed at his side, and his gaze was on her.  
  
"N-nani?"  
  
Chichiri was shocked at her surprise. "Can't you tell, no da?"  
  
"I-I thought he was just being kind."  
  
He chuckled softly. "Jiyuna-san, Hotohori-sama is a very kind emperor, no da. But the way he acts around you goes far beyond that, na no da." He turned away from her, his one eye narrowing, remembering.  
  
"Oh." She seemed genuinely surprised. Then, she looked back to Chichiri, who was gazing past the horizon. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
He looked uncomfotable, shifted his body to appear to be stretching, but he knew she had seen it. "Nothing," he answered quickly, avoiding her eyes. "I was just remembering, no da."  
  
She touched his hand lightly. "Chichiri, I know from experience that it helps to tell someone, but I also know when not to push. Suzaku knows how many times I kept things to myself, locked away in a dark corner of my mind. So, I'll leave, I didn't mean to interrupt your meditation." Jiyuna turned to slide off the railing of the bridge, but was stopped when Chichiri clutched the sleeve of her robe.  
  
"You didn't interrupt, no da. What makes you think I keep it hidden away na no da?" he asked.  
  
She looked back at him. "Why else would a monk with a scar as angry-looking as that hide it from people? And, why would a guy with a scar as angry-looking as that become a monk in the first place?" Then she shrugged her shoulders. "Gomen nasai, Chichiri. I tend to assume too much about people."  
  
But he was shaking his head. "No, Jiyuna. You are right, no da."  
  
She waited, allowing him to continue if he wished. *Don't push him, Jiyuna,* she warned herself.  
  
Chichiri cleared his throat, set his fishing pole beside him, next to the discarded mask. "When I was your age, I had a fiancee and a best friend no da. We did nearly everything together, no da. One day, I caught them together. They had betrayed me na no da. I was furious, crazed. I went after my best friend with knife, killed him no da." He turned to Jiyuna, showing her the angry scar across his eye. "In one moment of youthful craziness, I lost my fiancee, my best friend, and part of myself."  
  
"But Chichiri, why do you hide your scar? Are you ashamed of it?" she questioned, clearly confused.  
  
"No, not ashamed no da. I keep this scar so I don't forget who I was and what I did na no da. It scares people, though, when they see it. Because of that, I wear the mask no da."  
  
Jiyuna watched in fascination as the older seishi replaced the mask over his face, grinned. "You should get back to Hotohori-sama before he wakes, no da." His voice was back at it's high tone.  
  
She reached out, pulled him into a hug. "Arrigato, Chichiri."  
  
"H-hai."  
  
As she sped off back toward the inn, Chichiri picked up his fishing pole and went back his morning meditation.  
  
  



	18. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 18

Author's Note: Standard disclaimers... I'll be away for a week, so I hope this will tie some of you over until I return. It's not great... not great at all, but it will have to do for now... ja!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hotohori opened first one eye, and then the other. Something felt strange. He was warm, comfortable... content. He snapped his head to the side, and came face-to-face with the smiling, cheerful expression of Jiyuna.  
  
"Ohayoo," she greeted, widening her grin.  
  
"Ohayoo," he returned, placing his head on her cheek. He was glad to see that the bruises were beginning to heal, and judging by the expression in Jiyuna's eyes, he knew she had already forgotten they were there.  
  
He sat up then, propped himself on his elbows, long, chestnut hair cascading across his naked shoulders and down his back. He stared at his bare chest for a moment. *Where did my shirt go?* he wondered to himself  
  
Jiyuna repressed a gasp at the sight of Hotohori's hair spilled across his body. *Gods, he's beautiful,* she thought. She realized she was staring, and looked away, flushing a bright pink. She crawled off the bed and found Hotohori's shirt on the floor. "You must have taken it off sometime during the night, it was warm," she said, throwing the shirt at him, and turning back to pick the bag up that still lie on the floor. "The other's are eating breakfast, except for Mitsukake and Chichiri, who are at the river filling up the water jugs. We have a desert to pass through before we reach Sailo."  
  
She stopped as an odd sound reached her ears. Turning back to the bed, Hotohori still rested on his elbows, but his shirt was hanging over his head, covering his face completely, and he was... laughing? The serious, usually so distinguished emperor of Konan was laughing? It was a soft, gleeful sound, and made another grin break across Jiyuna's face.  
  
Now, his muffled voice broke through the laughter. "G-gomen nasaii, Jiyuna," he said between chuckles. "I have not had a reason to laugh for quite a while."  
  
She walked back over the bed, sat on the edge near him, and pulled the shirt off his head. A crooked grin was plastered to his face, and he was still chuckling a bit.  
  
"Hotohori-sama," she began. "I'm glad that I've given you a reason to be happy."  
  
He stared at her for a moment, the smile fading from his face, then, he leaned forward, wrapped his muscular arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace.  
  
"Jiyuna, YOU are my reason." He had to tell her now, before he lost his nerve and didn't say it at all. "I thought that I would never find love when Miaka fell for Tamahome. Ever since I was a small child, I could think of no one but Suzaku no Miko to cure my loneliness. I never imagined that someone was wonderful as you even existed in my world. It must be destiny for you to have come into my life, because I know that I am not that lucky."  
  
She smiled against his smooth chest. "I love you Hotohori-sama," she admitted.  
  
He tensed up immediately, sending Jiyuna's mind spinning. *Oh shit!* she thought. *I screwed up, didn't I?*  
  
Feeling like a complete idiot, she risked a glance up at the older man. He was gazing down at her, amber eyes brimmed with tears.  
  
"Hotohori, nan-"  
  
"I never thought I would hear those words."  
  
Jiyuna reached a shaking hand up to run her fingers through his hair. "It's true. I think I loved you the moment I woke up in the palace and saw you worrying over me."  
  
The young emperor could scarcely believe his ears. She loved him, she really loved him. Loved him before she even knew that he was an emperor, or a seishi. He felt a tear spill down his cheek, run along his jaw line. Jiyuna rose to her knees, kissed the tear away.  
  
Hotohori's grip on her tightened, and he buried his head in her hair. "I love you, Jiyuna," he whispered.  
  
A feeling of absolutely joy soared through Jiyuna. He had said it, and he meant it. Things would be all right now, she was sure. They would get the other shinzaho, Miaka would call Suzaku, she and Tamahome would be together, and so would Hotohori and herself.  
  
An urgent knock at the door, brought the two back to reality.  
  
"Enter," Hotohori called.  
  
The door flew open, and rather frazzled Nuriko burst through, breathing hard.  
  
"Nuriko?" Jiyuna ran to her friend, placed a reassuring hand on his slim shoulder.  
  
"Kutou... Seiryuu... shinzaho..." he choked out between gasps for breath.  
  
The younger girl creased her forehead in confusion. "Nani?"  
  
Nuriko made what sounded like a frustrated growl. "The damned Seiryuu got their dirty hands on the other shinzaho, killed a Genbu seishi, and are on their way back to Kutou!" he concluded, his voice raising to an ear-splitting shriek.  
  
Jiyuna felt her throat drop to her stomach like a rock. The hope that had just been flowing through her seemed to sweep away with a gust of wind. She sank to her knees on the floor in front of Nuriko, clasped her hands together in front of her, and started praying.  
  
Firm hands on her shoulders brought her out of her reverie. She opened her eyes, saw the worried expression on Nuriko's face. "Jiyuna-san, daijobu?"  
  
She nodded, forcing the lump in her throat down. "Hai, Nuriko, I'm fine." Forcing a smile onto her face, she rose to her feet, and turned to Hotohori.  
  
The emperor stood, shoulders slightly hunched, head down.  
  
"Hotohori-sama?" Jiyuna approached him. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
He raised his head, determination showing in his eyes. "We're going to get the shinzaho back."  
  
A rumble of footsteps made the three turn to the door, and there, leaning heavily against the doorframe, was the figure of Tasuki.  
  
He looked up, blood streaming down his face. "Seiryuu...here."  
  
As he fell, Jiyuna looked past him, saw a grueling battle already begun between the remaining seishi. Hotohori brushed past her, sword drawn, Nuriko at his heels.  
  
"Jiyuna, stay here," he commanded.  
  
She watched him walk off toward the field where the others were. *I don't think so, Heika-sama,* she thought. Kneeling beside Tasuki, she grabbed his arm, hefted his weight against her and dragged him over to the bed. "Gomen ne, Tasuki," she whispered, "but I have to help them." She pulled his Tessen from its place on his back, and stepped out into the midday sun.  
  
Right in time to see a blue chi blast coming toward her head.  



	19. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 19

Author's Note: After a long, nerve-wracking wait, I'm back with the newest chapter of Search for the Shinzaho. I apologize for the cliffhanger in the previous chapter... oh, wait.. no I don't. kakakakaka... that was just pure evil of me I know.... but well, here ya go. Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Pain exploded into Jiyuna's chest as the chi blast struck her, and was hurled backwards by the force of it. She lay, unmoving, on the hard ground. As a shadow was cast over her, she looked up, tried to see past the dark silhouette to the face. Her breath came in labored gasps, her vision blurred, making it difficult to see who was there. She was aware of a wetness sliding down her sides, knew it to be blood. Then, she saw it. The twisted smile on the face of the man who had killed her parents. It etched itself in her memory, that sadistic sneer.  
  
"N-N-Naka-" Her voice was barely there, but she knew he had heard her, for he leaned down closer to her.  
  
"You will give me no more trouble, dear Jiyuna," he said. Thinking her to be nearly dead, he turned his back and walked away, engaging himself in more battle.  
  
Jiyuna struggled to remain conscious. After all she had been through, she would not die like this, she could not!  
  
"Jiyuna!"  
  
*Hotohori.* She gazed up at him, at his large, amber eyes that were flooded with tears, at his beautiful chestnut hair that fell in waves across his shoulders.  
  
"Hotohori," she rasped out. "Gomen, I wanted to help."  
  
The young emperor cradled her head in his lap, choked back the sob that rose in his throat. "Don't apologize, you'll be alright. I'll get Mitsukake."  
  
She shook her head, swallowed. Her throat felt so dry, but she spoke with a strong voice. "No... Tasuki."  
  
"Tasuki?"  
  
"Tasuki's hurt, Mitsukake needs to heal him. He's a seishi, you need him."  
  
Hotohori stared down at the young girl, shocked beyond reason. She was injured, maybe dying, and still, she thought of others first. "Jiyuna, I need YOU more."  
  
She started crying then. Sobs racked her broken body, and she clutched at Hotohori's arm. "Saihitei... Saihitei..."  
  
The emperor let the tears come, allowed a cry to escape. She had never called him by his real name, and to hear it now...  
  
Jiyuna sucked in a wheezing breath. "I love you, Saihitei..."  
  
"And I love you, Jiyuna," he said, his voice breaking. He leaned his head down, brushed his lips lightly on her forehead.  
  
A weak smile curled her lips, and she allowed her eyes to close and her body to go limp in Hotohori's arms.  
  
"Yadda." It came as barely a whisper. "Yadda..." he said again, louder. "Jiyuna, come back to me! Suzaku! Bring her back, kudosai!"  
  
As rage took over, Hotohori picked up the discarded sword to his side, rose shakily to his feet, and sought out the devil in blue, Nakago. He found him, several yards away, the smirk still on his face.  
  
Before he could think about what he was doing, the emperor was charging the shogun of Kutou, a strangled cry echoing like thunder.  
  
The unexpected rushing of Hotohori caught Nakago unprepared for the attack. He moved to dodge the swiftly approaching sword, but it thrust into his shoulder, blood soaking through his cape. Before he had a chance to recover, Hotohori had wrenched the shinzaho from his armor and was attempting to strike him with the deity's sword again.  
  
Nakago quickly put up a barrier, preventing the sword from injuring him again.  
  
The young emperor became so enraged, he began hitting the barrier rapidly, trying to break through it. Nuriko finally threw himself onto Hotohori, wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled.  
  
"Yamete, Hothori-sama!" he yelled.  
  
"Nuriko, let me go!" He twisted, vainly trying to break the iron grip of the older seishi.  
  
"Baka! He'll kill you!"  
  
Nuriko's words finally reached the emperor's ears. He stopped, standing completely still, and watched Nakago mount his horse and ride off with the rest of Kutou's people following.  
  
When they were out of sight, Hotohori's hand found Nuriko's arm, patted it gently. "It's all right now, Nuriko. You can let go. Arrigato."  
  
The smaller man hesitated, then dropped his arms.  
  
"Heika-sama!"  
  
Hotohori turned to where Chichiri and Mitsukake were bent over Jiyuna.  
  
"She's alive, no da!"  
  
"Nani?!" He rushed to her side, knelt.  
  
Jiyuna moaned, eyelids fluttering.  
  
"She's unconscious, but she'll be okay," Mitsukake told him.  
  
"Where's Tasuki?" Miaka looked around frantically, seeing no sign of the mountain bandit.  
  
"The inn!" Hotohori grabbed Mitsukake by the arm and ran into the inn. Tasuki still lie on the bed where Jiyuna had dumped him. "Heal him."  
  
The doctor looked at his emperor uncertainly. "Are you sure, heika?"  
  
Hotohori swallowed. Of course he wasn't sure! He wanted to drag the doctor back to his beloved and make him cure her, but it wasn't what she wanted. He nodded. "Jiyuna told me she wanted you to heal him."  
  
Mitsukake stared solemnly at Hotohori, noting the inner struggle he was so obviously going through. He wanted to object, but knew better than to argue with the emperor. Turning to the bed, he held out his left hand, closed his eyes. Hotohori watched as the green orbs floated from his hand to the injured form of Tasuki. Within moments, the cuts and bruises were healed, and the flame-haired seishi looked as though he were simply asleep.  
  
A few seconds later, Tasuki opened his eyes, blinked. "Oi, what the hell's going on?"  
  
"You were injured, Mitsukake healed you," Hotohori informed.  
  
The bandit stretched, reached a hand back to scratch his back. "Oi! Where the fuck's my tessen?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jiyuna felt herself being carried. *So I'm not dead.* In her mind, she smiled bitterly. *You've failed again, Nakago.*  
  
She had no idea where she was going, who was carrying her, and why, in fact, she was not dead. It didn't make any sense. Nakago knew how to change the intensity of his chi blast, and she had a feeling that he meant to kill her, not just hurt her. So what happened? The confusion of it was just too much, so Jiyuna allowed the darkness to swallow her up again, keep her warm, comfortable.. safe.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nuriko walked past the room where Jiyuna was still unconscious for about the hundredth time that evening. There, as always, Hotohori sat in a chair, his hand intertwined with hers. This time, Nuriko couldn't stand seeing him so distraught, so he entered the room, placed a reassuring hand on the emperor's shoulders.  
  
"Ne, Hotohori-sama,"  
  
He jumped at the sudden contact, turned to the slightly older shichiseishi. "Hai, Nuriko?"  
  
The violet-haired man nearly gasped aloud at the haggardness in Hotohori's face. "You must get some rest Hotohori-sama. You look awful."  
  
The other shook his head. "I can't. I have to be here for her, for when she wakes up."  
  
Nuriko studied the lying form of Jiyuna carefully. She was bandaged from neck to waist, but was sleeping peacefully. Mitsukake had said that as soon as he was strong enough, he would heal her, but the emperor insisted on staying by her side.  
  
He kneeled down at Hotohori's side, caught his amber eyes in his own violet ones. "Hotohori-sama, I will stay and watch over her while you sleep. The moment she wakes, I'll come get you. What happens if Nakago returns during the night? You'll be too exhausted to do anything. Onegai, get some sleep."  
  
Hotohori was about to object again, but paused. Nuriko was right, of course, he was so tired he was about to fall over asleep right there. He sighed once, a deep, heavy sigh, and stood. "Arrigato, Nuriko. I don't know what I would without you."  
  
Nuriko offered him a wide grin. "You'd be pretty bored, I'm sure."  
  
As the taller man shuffled from the room, Nuriko took his place in the unoccupied chair. As he sat, the incident in the woods when they had left Konan came flashing back to him. He had poured his heart to Jiyuna, and she had listened, and understood. An unbidden image of Kourin flashed into his mind then. There was she was, nine-years-old, grinning up at him with the same violet hair, same violet eyes, as his own.  
  
"Nii-sama..."  
  
Nuriko nearly fell off the chair at the sound of his sister's voice. He recovered, looked around frantically. "Kourin?"  
  
A giggle that only Kourin could have been able to utter filled his ears. "Hai, Nii-sama.. who else?"  
  
Nuriko felt tears well up in his eyes. It had been eight years. Eight years since he had heard that sweet voice. He rose from the chair, stood in the middle of the room. "Kourin, why are you here?"  
  
"To tell you that it's not your fault. It never was."  
  
He dropped to knees on the soft rug, began to cry. "But it was, Kourin. It WAS my fault. If I hadn't left without you, you wouldn't have tried to catch up and that horse-" he choked on his own words, let his head fall into his hands.  
  
"Nii-sama..." Nuriko recognized the tone as Kourin's angry voice. It was lower than her normal one, graver. "What happened was nobody's fault. If you bother yourself with "ifs" the rest of your life, you'll go crazy. You need to accept what happened to me and move on. You are Nuriko, a Suzaku shichiseishi, not Lady Kourin. Just be yourself."  
  
He looked up toward the ceiling. "Myself? But who am I, Kourin?"  
  
She giggled again, but it sounded as though she were leaving. Her voice was far away when she spoke. "You're my Nii-sama, of course."  
  
Then, somehow, he knew she was gone. Gods, she might never have even been there. He looked back to Jiyuna, smiled. Kourin was right. He wasn't Lady Kourin anymore, he wasn't even Cho Ryuen, he was Nuriko, the seishi.  
  
"Arrigato... Kourin," he whispered. He walked to the desk that occupied the right side of the room, rummaged through its drawers. In one, he found a small dagger, perfect for what he needed it for. Then, looking at the mirror in front of him, he held the dagger in his right hand, his long, violet braid in the other, and sliced it off. Satisfied, he dropped both his braid and the dagger and ran his hands through his newly cut short hair. As he did, the desire to be Kourin died, and the Nuriko he had tried so desperately to keep away came to the surface, filled him with happiness.  



	20. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 20

Author's Note: Ok, ok.. it's back. I realized, as I tried to finish this up, that chapter 20 wouldn't work the way I wanted to end this fic, so I took it off and fixed it. Well... rewrote it, really. I'm sorry for that. It's been a rough few days thanks to this fic.  
  
Warnings: Mild Soi spoilers in this chapter. Nakago spoilers in the next.  
  
Thanks to Ryuen-san for reading this and helping me a GREAT deal with it. You go, Otouto! (that really wasn't meant rhyme)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What do you mean she's not dead?"  
  
The spy swallowed hard, avoided the cold blue of Nakago's eyes. "The blast didn't kill her, Shogun. She's unconscious, but when the seishi Mitsukake recovers, he'll heal her."  
  
Nakago's eyes flashed, his lips drew down in a scowl. "That will be all," he hissed.  
  
The spy backed out of the tent rather fearfully, and ran as soon as he cleared the opening.  
  
Nakago, dressed only in his cream-colored pants, sat down wearily in the chair behind his table. His shoulder was wrapped, the wound from Konan's emperor had finally stopped bleeding, but it throbbed painfully.  
  
He had truly thought he was rid of her. That damned girl, the one who sent his mind spinning every time she looked at him, the one who nearly made him forget his well thought out plan, the one who made him feel things he hadn't felt since he was a boy, was not dead. He had failed to kill her. Why? That blast had hit her full on, it threw her nearly 50 feet backwards, and it did not kill her?  
  
The shogun was confused. He was so adamantly sure he had put his entire chi into that blast. At least, he thought he was sure.  
  
*Did I really mean to kill her?*  
  
He shook his rapidly. Of course he meant to kill her! That girl was the bane of his existence, a nightmare that he had to smite before it got out of control.  
  
*Then why do I feel relieved that she's all right?*  
  
He stood up, a bit too quickly, and reeled from the dizziness and pain that hit him. It rose up like a flood, washed over his head, nearly toppling the shogun over. He sat back down, tried to will the dizziness to clear. As he was trying to clear his head, the opening of the tent rustled, and he felt hands on his uninjured arm.  
  
"Nakago-sama! Lay back! I must raise your chi so you will recover faster!"  
  
Nakago wrenched his arm from the woman's grasp. "Leave me, Soi. I did not call for you."  
  
The young woman took a shaky step back. "Demo, Nakago-sama, I... you..."  
  
"Iie. I want to be alone, Soi."  
  
But the Seiryuu seishi stood fast. "You need more chi, Nakago-sama. What if the Suzaku seishi attack?"  
  
By now the dizziness was gone and the pain had receded back to a dull throbbing. Nakago stood, much more slowly this time, and faced her.  
  
"The Suzaku seishi will not be attacking. They will busy calling their god and getting their wishes. In fact, I believe that we will be losing our powers in a short time, as Suzaku seals Seiryuu." He told it in such a matter-of-fact tone that Soi didn't quite realize what he said at first.  
  
Then, as the knowledge hit, her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes grew wide. "In that case, it's best if I raise your chi now, so when Seiryuu is sealed, you will be stronger."  
  
She moved toward him, but Nakago raised a hand. "Iie, Soi. I told you, I want to be alone. Leave me."  
  
"Doushite?" she asked, a hint of anger in her voice.  
  
"My reasons are no concern of yours."  
  
"Yes they are, Nakago." she said, firmly.  
  
He raised a slim eyebrow. "Oh?"  
  
Soi moved in front of him, a desperate look on her face. "They are my concerns, because... because..."  
  
Nakago's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Because...?"  
  
Soi's chin trembled. Nakago could sense an inner conflict within her chi. What was going on? She was acting strange, and getting stranger.  
  
Finally, Soi stood still. Her hands dropped to her sides, a deep breath filled her lungs, and her chin stopped shaking. "Because I'm in love with you."  
  
Nakago's face belied none of the emotion he was feeling. Love? She loved him? How could anyone love him? He was a murderous traitor. A cruel, heartless bastard. He had spent much of his adolescence becoming that way, and in doing so he left no room for love.  
  
"Yada. You do not love me Soi," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"But I do, Nakago-sama! Ever since the day you saved me outside the brothel, I knew in my heart that you were my love. And since I found out that you were a seishi, I pledged my allegiance to you." Soi was crying now, her entire body shaking with her sobs.  
  
She stood there, in the middle of the tent, sobbing, waiting... waiting for anything. She finally poured her heart out to the one man she loved, and all she could do was wait.  
  
Nakago leaned against the table for a moment, staring at Soi with unblinking eyes. Without a word, he stood, picked his white shirt up off the bed, and left the tent.  
  
Soi collapsed to the ground, her crying coming out in choked sobs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nuriko sat on the chair beside Jiyuna's bed, running a hand through his now short hair. It felt... weird... that his hair that he used to spend so much time painstakingly fixing was now gone. He heard a small rustle and a moan.  
  
"Nu...ri...ko."  
  
He jumped forward, grabbed Jiyuna's hand. "Don't move Jiyuna, Mitsukake hasn't healed you yet, and that blast nearly killed you."  
  
Jiyuna's crimson eyes fluttered open, fixed on Nuriko. "You... cut your... hair."  
  
He grinned sheepishly. "Hai, it was an impulse-thing."  
  
A small smile crept to her lips. "It looks... great... baka."  
  
As Nuriko held Jiyuna's hand, the rest of the seishi and Miaka stood at the door. Mitsukake was the first to speak. "She's right, Nuriko, it does look great. But, if you'll move, I can heal her."  
  
At his voice, Nuriko spun around, blushed a deep red. "Hai, she's all yours, Mitsukake." The tall seishi stepped forward, and for the fifth time in nearly as many days, he used his powers to heal. When he was finished, Jiyuna leapt up from the bed and threw her arms first around Nuriko. "Arrigato for sitting by me!"  
  
He patted her back. "Daijobu, Jiyuna-san," he said brightly. "Hotohori- sama is still sleeping. Go surprise him."  
  
Jiyuna nodded, overjoyed at going to see Hotohori, and made her way out of the room. She paused beside Tasuki, touched his arm. "You're all right?"  
  
He flashed her his fanged grin. "Yep, I'm great."  
  
"Good."  
  
She ran down the hall to Hotohori's room, crept in the door. He was on the bed, sprawled out much as Tasuki slept. She suppressed a giggle, and tiptoed over to the bed. Hotohori's hair was strewn across the pillows, and one arm dangled over the side. Jiyuna crawled onto the bed as carefully as she could until her face was an inch above the emperor's. Then, she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
Hotohori made no move. Again, Jiyuna leaned down and kissed him on the lips, this time a little harder. Still the emperor didn't move.  
  
She grabbed a pillow off the floor – he must have knocked it off while sleeping – and raised it over her head with the intention of smacking him in the face with it. But...  
  
"ACK!"  
  
Hotohori had connected his own pillow to the side of her head first. Jiyuna fell to the side, laid on the bed almost in a daze.  
  
"I can't believe you just did that!"  
  
Hotohori laughed. "But it was so perfect! You crept in, so quietly, so unsuspecting."  
  
Jiyuna sat up, belted him with the pillow she still held. "Baka."  
  
He grabbed her around the back, suddenly, pulled her into a kiss. "I'm glad you're better," he whispered.  
  
"So am I," she agreed. "I think I've spent more time here being injured than being healthy."  
  
"But now, we have the shinzahos. Miaka can call Suzaku, and bring peace to Konan." Hotohori had grown serious. He took Jiyuna by the hands. "Jiyuna, when this is all over, after Suzaku is called..." he paused, cleared his throat. "Jiyuna, when I was young, I was told the story of how the Suzaku no Miko would come to this world. At the time, I was certain that when she came, she would cure the lonliness I had felt since my parents passed away. When Miaka came to this world, she was exactly like I envisioned the Miko to be, and I loved her. Miaka, though, fell in love with Tamahome. But she did cure my lonliness. The other seishi became my brethren, my brothers, and I was no longer alone. Still, though, there was the pressure for me to take an empress. Then, I met you."  
  
Jiyuna started to chuckle. Hotohori looked at her in confusion. "Sorry, I was just thinking about the moment I woke up and saw you leaning over me. My first thought was. 'Wow, what beautiful bad guy.'"  
  
The emperor smiled. "You, Jiyuna, are so beautiful. Even when you're unconscious."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Hotohori cleared his throat again. "I want to be with you forever. Jiyuna, will you be my empress?"  
  
Jiyuna gasped. "Your empress? Oh, Saihitei, I love you! I don't ever want to leave you. So my answer is yes."  
  
The two embraced. Hotohori felt a tear of happiness slide down his cheek. *I finally have you, my love.*  
  
There was a knock on the door. Jiyuna pulled away from Hotohori, kissing him on the cheek. "You have to go. It's time."  
  
The door opened and Nuriko poked his head in. "Hotohori-sama? We're meeting in the temple of Suzaku."  
  
"Hai, Nuriko," Hotohori responded, standing up. "Ne, did you cut your hair?"  
  
Nuriko grinned. "Hai. what do you think?"  
  
"It suits you."  
  
The two seishi walked down the walkway toward the temple, leaving Jiyuna to stare after them, a content smile on her face.  
  
"Ne, Jiyuna-san! Did Hotohori leave you for Nuriko? I guess he likes guys after all! Bwahahahah!"  
  
Jiyuna turned to face the red-haired bandit, a devilish grin on her face. "It's so horrible Tasuki-san! I guess that means that since I was dumped by the emperor, I'll have to go live with the bandits!"  
  
The fanged grin faded from Tasuki's face. "Not funny."  
  
Jiyuna slugged him in the arm. "Sure it was! Now get going, you're going to miss the summoning ceremony, and Nuriko'll surely beat you up for that."  
  
"Aw, I'm not afraid of the okama," he said.  
  
"Yeah, just remember that when you go sailing into a wall, ne?"  
  
Tasuki's face grew serious, and he drew closer to Jiyuna. "Be careful out here. There are some palace guards about, but we'll all be in the temple. Who knows what those Seiryuu scum may try while we're in there. Just promise me you'll be safe."  
  
Jiyuna hugged Tasuki tightly. "I'll be careful. Good luck calling Suzaku."  
  
As she watched the last of her friends disappear into the darkness of night, Jiyuna knew everything would be okay. Suzaku would be sealed, Miaka would be with Tamahome, and she would be with Hotohori. She walked to her own room, closed the door and decided it would be best if she got her rest. She lay down on her bed, drew the covers up to her chin, and fell into an easy, pleasant sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nakago walked briskly, moving along a windy path that ran through the woods behind the encampment. Soi's words had shocked him, but he was more shocked by his own revelation that he had feelings for Jiyuna.  
  
It had come when Soi had blurted to him that she had loved him from the day he saved her. He imagined that the words came from Jiyuna, and a shiver of joy had gone through him.  
  
Joy.  
  
How could he even know what joy was? Joy, love, happiness... those emotions meant nothing to him. He knew only anger, hatred... vengeance. And yet, he was sure that the feeling he had was joy. Joy when he learned Jiyuna wasn't dead, joy when he imagined her saying that she loved him.  
  
It was a lie.  
  
She loved the emperor, Saihitei. A man who was caring and loving. A man who didn't kill as part of a master plan for revenge. A man... who wasn't him.  
  
*Gods, its true. I love her.*  
  
NO! No, he did not! He could not! Love was for weaklings, for pathetic mortals who spent their days plowing fields. Men like Nakago did not love. They did not live their lives for other people, only themselves.  
  
*But I do, I love her.*  
  
Nakago stopped mid-stride, shook his head furiously. The walk was supposed to clear his head, not make it work harder to understand what the hell he was feeling.  
  
"Nakago-sama!!"  
  
He spun, saw Suboshi running towards.  
  
"What is it, Suboshi?"  
  
The younger of the twins slid to a stop, leaned on his knees. His breath was ragged, but he took a few deep inhales to calm down. "It's Soi. She's gone."  
  
"Gone?"  
  
"Hai. I think she went to stop the summoning of Suzaku."  
  
Realization hit the shogun like a slap to the face. *She knows.* He walked up to Suboshi. "Ready the horses. We're going to Konan." 


	21. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 21

Disclaimer:  I own a 'puter, I own a bed, I own a roto rooter, I own something red.  But I do not own Fushigi Yuugi... (Sam I am) cuz they don't eat green eggs and ham!  (A/N:  TOOOO much caffeine... and a really bad rhyme.. make for a pretty weird Kokkei this morning)

Author's Note:  Second to last chapter!!!!   ::collective gasp::  I can't believe this either.  And ending is a rare thing for me.  But, anyway... don't know how wonderful this chapter is... the end may be a bit choppy... demo, daijobu, ne?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jiyuna was dreaming, or had been, until alarms of danger started going off in her head.  Lucky for her, she'd always been a light sleeper, so when foot steps were heard nearing her door, she was awake, all her senses flaring.  
  


*Those aren't the footfalls of a man,* her mind told her. *They're too heavy, but they aren't clumsy enough to be Miaka's. It's either a servant, or something else.* Jiyuna guessed on something else, so she crawled out of bed, moved to the darkest corner of the room, and stood in shadow, waiting.  
  


The door opened a crack, and even though the torches were lit, barely a sliver of light reached inside the blackness of the room. Jiyuna watched safely from the shadowed corner as the door was pushed open further and a figure stepped in. Tall and lithe, with a long braid fluttering in the wind, the figure moved stealthily toward the bed.  
  


Jiyuna knew it was Soi. What she didn't know was what the Seiryuu seishi was doing here, especially in her room.  
  


"Dammit," Soi muttered. She must have realized that Jiyuna wasn't in the bed. "Where'd that peasant bitch go?"  
  


*To show myself, or not to show myself,* Jiyuna thought. *To die, or not to die... decisions, decisions,* she added bitterly.  
  


She moved quickly into the center of the room. *Why delay the inevitable?* "What do you want, Soi?"  
  


Soi jumped, clearly surprised that Jiyuna was actually in the room.  
  


"Well, well, well." Soi crossed her arms, a condescending smile flickered onto her lips. "She doesn't hide."  
  


"What do you want?" Jiyuna repeated.  
  


"I," she waved a slender hand around, "have come to stop the summoning ceremony, of course."  
  


The other girl's eyes narrowed, though Soi couldn't see them in the dark. "If you're here to stop the ceremony, why are you in my room?"  
Soi's face fell, only a little, but enough that Jiyuna saw it. "Ah, um, well..." She shuffled her weight onto her left foot. "If I hold you hostage, surely they'll stop," she said quickly.  
  


Jiyuna grinned. "Actually, they'll probably go faster."  
  


"Let's find out, ne?"  
  


Soi lunged across the bed, the only barrier between her and Jiyuna, but Jiyuna was quick, and darted to the left. She ran around the foot of the bed and out the door, while Soi struggled to detangle herself from the covers from the bed.  
  


Jiyuna had reached the large courtyard between wings of the palace, when a loud rumble of thunder made her stop. "Shit!" she whispered. 

Looking up, she saw Soi standing on the roof, lightning flashing around her.  
  


"What the fuck do you want with me, Soi?!"  
  


The Seiryuu seishi smirked. "It's quite simple, really. I want you to die."  
  


"Why?"  
  


"Because," she said. "If you're dead, then Nakago-sama will forget about you, and remember that it's me he loves."  
  


Rain began to fall; cold, hard, stinging rain. It dripped down Jiyuna's face, into her eyes, soaked her clothing, and plastered her hair down. She stared up at Soi, a look of something like incredulous wonder on her wet face. "Nakago? What does he have to do with this?"  
  


There was a flash, and Soi was suddenly in front of her, laughing. It was a laugh full of bitterness... and hatred. "What does he have to do with it? Everything you foolish peasant!  He loves you... but not for long."  
  


Jiyuna glared. "Do not... call me a peasant. You know nothing about me!"  
  


The other girl took a step back at Jiyuna's outburst. "Hmm... a bit touchy, are we?"  
  


"Touchy, no… getting pissed off, yes," she replied.  "I don't get you, Soi.  You say you hate me because Nakago loves me.  But, I don't love him, so what's the problem?"

Soi pushed her face close to Jiyuna's, narrowed her eyes.  "The problem is that he can't do much else lately besides think of you.  He won't let me raise his chi, won't take any kind of visitors, and when I try to talk to him, he goes off and mopes."

Jiyuna started to laugh.  "Nakago, mope?  C'mon Soi… you have to do better than that!  You're jealous!"

The Seiryuu seishi took a step backward in surprise.  "Jealous?" she asked stupidly.

"Yes…" Jiyuna hissed the word, leaning closer to Soi.  "You're jealous that a so-called pathetic peasant girl like me got closer to Nakago than you ever could!"  The shocked expression on Soi's face gave her the perfect opportunity to get in the first hit, so Jiyuna leapt forward and swung, connecting her fist with Soi's jaw.

The elder girl stumbled backward, holding her throbbing jaw.  "You'll pay for that!" she spat, and disappeared once more.

*Shit!*  Jiyuna spun around, looking up at the roofs of the buildings, searching for signs of the powerful woman.  She spotted her, on the roof above the other seishi's living quarters, her arms up in the air… calling…

"FUCK ME!"  Jiyuna ran, all the while watching the sky.  When the first lightning bolt began its rapid descent toward her, she halted, then jumped to the side and rolled out of the way.  It hit the ground, forming a black spot.  Jiyuna could hear the sizzling from the heat.

Loud, high-pitched laughter echoed throughout the courtyard, bounced off the walls of the buildings, reverberated in Jiyuna's head.  She barely had to time to recover from the first bolt of lightning when a shower of electric blue began pouring down from the blackened sky.  She jumped, jumped again, and managed to get out of the way of most of them, but a single bolt came down and grazed her arm, burning through her tunic and flesh.

She fell to her knees, grabbed her arm painfully.  Upon inspection, she saw that the burn extended from her shoulder nearly down to her elbow.  The skin was red, raw, and a few trickles of blood ran down her arm, mixed with the rain already there.

"Son of a bitch!" she whispered.  If Soi kept this up, she'd get her eventually, and then…

"Soi!"

Jiyuna recognized the voice right away.  She didn't lift her head to look at him, only stared at the ground and listened.

Soi halted her attack on Jiyuna when the deep bass broke through the thunder and rain and reached her ears.  She peered down at the courtyard, saw Jiyuna on her knees.  Her gaze drew away from the girl, toward where that voice had come from.  It was impossible.  He couldn't have gotten here this fast, could he?

And yet, there Nakago stood, his cerulean eyes boring a hole through her head.  Eyes showing only hate… pure, unforgiving hate.  His stare wavered, and shot to Jiyuna, who still refused to look at him. 

Soi was the first to speak.  "Nakago..."

The shogun looked back up at Soi, his eyes thin slights behind the shaggy blonde bangs, confusion and something akin to anger etched on his flawless face.  What was he doing here?  All he could remember was Suboshi telling him that Soi had gone.... gone to stop the ceremony.... but he had known.  He had known she was going after Jiyuna.

He saw it in her eyes.

In a flash, Soi was in front of him.  Her shoulders were slumped, defeated, and her gaze focused on his chest rather than his face.  "Soi... what are you doing?"

She looked up at him then, sadness embedded on her face, and... were those tears in her eyes?  "I-uh... I..."

*What is she sputtering about?* he thought, annoyed.  He glared, crossed his arms over his chest.

And then, Soi's face changed.  The sadness disappeared, as did the tears, and determination was left.  "I came to stop the summoning."

"And a fine job you're doing."

His sarcastic words stung, but Soi kept her composure.  "And I'm here to kill her.  She stole plans from your tent when you had her there, probably meant to give them to the Suzaku seishi."  She pulled out a rolled up scroll from her belt, showed it to Nakago.  "I found this in her room."

The shogun took the scroll, recognized it as one he had been reading a day ago.  Soi had turned away, began to walk slowly toward Jiyuna.  "No one steals from Nakago-sama," she said.

"Iie."  It was only a small, simple word, but it had an icy edge to it that made Soi shiver.  She turned back slowly to Nakago, confusion clouding her face.

"Nani?"

"Iie, Soi," he said again, glaring at her.  "I won't let you kill her."

"What the hell are you talking about, Nakago?  She stole from you and was going to help them stop us."

Nakago shook his head.  He wasn't sure what he was doing.  But, for the first time in his entire life, he could not kill.  Nothing could bring him to do it... nothing.

"Doushite?"

The sound, a whisper of a light breeze on a warm summer day, a golden voice gone rough with pain and sorrow, reached his ears.

Jiyuna looked up at Nakago, locked her crimson eyes full of tears with his.  Nakago gasped aloud.  There was so much pain in those eyes.  Mental anguish, he knew.  He had felt that countless times during his life.  Jiyuna looked as though if she began to cry, there'd be no stopping.  And he knew that he was the cause of that pain.  He had hurt her, more deeply that anyone he had killed... and he could hardly stand it.

"Doushite?" she asked again.  Her chin began to quiver, but she drew a deep, shaky breath and rose to her feet, gripping her burned arm.  "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?  Why didn't you let Soi kill me a few moments ago?"

The shogun averted his eyes from Jiyuna's.  He didn't know.  He had no idea why he couldn't kill her, he just couldn't.  Even when he had blasted her with his chi, he wasn't trying to kill her.  He had convinced himself that was, but he wasn't.

*Bastard,* he mind told him.  *Just tell her that you love her!*

He shook his head emphatically.  No!  He did not!

*Like hell.*

Soi was staring at Jiyuna and Nakago, her lips parted slightly in amazed wonder, and jealousy.

Jiyuna tried to take a step forward, but in doing so she jarred her injured arm and collapsed back to the wet ground, dropping her head in her hand.  Her sobs came softly, barely heard above the roaring of the wind and rain from the storm.

Nakago nearly ran to her side to comfort her, but at the last moment stood fast.  He was not the type to comfort, ever.  In fact, he should just take Soi and leave.

Leave?

Could he leave her now that he saw her again?  Could he really get on his horse and ride away, knowing full well that he'd never see her again?  "Leave us, Soi... go back to camp.  The others are on their way, you can meet them and all go back."

"But—"

He gripped her arm roughly.  "I said go!"

Soi tore her arm from Nakago's painful grasp.  The force of it sent her stumbling backward.  Anger boiled over.  Her face turned red, she began to shake with rage.  Electric sparks flicked off the tips of her fingers.  She raised them, pointed at Jiyuna and bellowed "Hakujin Rahiooo!"

And, nothing happened.  Almost nothing.  The storm that had been raging on suddenly subsided, and the clear, star splattered night sky overcame the clouds.  The full moon hung low and large, casting a white-ish light on everything.

Jiyuna smirked bitterly.  "You're too late Soi... they've sealed Seiryuu."  She glanced at Nakago... glanced.. then gaped.  The blonde seishi's face was pure white.  Paler than the moon, paler than the stars that shown in the sky, paler than the drained look on Soi's face.  He was trembling, fear showing on his face.

"Y-y-you..." he stumbled for words, found none, and simply stayed quiet.  *I thought I lost you!* his mind cried out.  But, he could not find the will to speak the words.  Jiyuna was staring at him, shocked, still gripping her wounded arm.

Neither of them saw Soi pull the dagger from her boot.


	22. Search for the Shinzaho - Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi, and I don't own the song, "Hope Has A Place" by Enya. Please don't sue me.  
  
Author's Notes: Well... this is it. The end. It is finished. wow. I can't even believe it. Usual warnings. Sad stuff, sappy stuff, Tasuki language. ^__~ The soundtrack to this chapter is the entire CD by Enya, "The Memory of Trees" That song, in particular, was the backdrop for the first part of this chapter. I looooooooove that song. Anyway... enjoy the last chapter!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nakago forced his breathing back to normal. A sweat had broken on his forehead, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. A cool breeze came across the courtyard, swept the bangs back from his face. He knew there was no way to end this well.  
  
*I should just leave,* he thought. *She has her own life, and I have mine.*  
  
He stared into Jiyuna's crimson eyes, expecting to see cold hatred spewing from them, as his had done. Jiyuna stared back, locking him into her gaze. Her arm dangled uselessly at her side, the burn from Soi's lightning still bleeding. Her other arm was bent, with her palm on the ground. She was pushing herself, Nakago realized, to stand.  
  
She rose shakily to her feet, her eyes not leaving his. It was then Nakago saw there was no hatred in those beautiful eyes. There was pain – excruciating pain – and sadness, but not hate.  
  
Moving to walk, Jiyuna stopped when she heard a sound. She turned, and saw Soi coming at her. Her mouth was shaped in a perfect O as she howled. Jiyuna saw something in her hand, something that glinted metallic in the moonlight. She nearly didn't see what it was, but at the last second grabbed the wrist of Soi, holding the weapon in her hand at bay.  
  
Soi grunted, pushed harder, trying to bring the dagger into Jiyuna's heart.  
  
"You're crazy, Soi!" Jiyuna yelled. "Stop this!"  
  
Soi hit Jiyuna's arm, causing her to cry out. She thought she had the other girl in a no-win situation, until she felt strong arms around her waist. They pulled her backward, flung her the side.  
  
"Nakago? What are you doing?"  
  
Nakago stood defiantly in front of Jiyuna, who had sunk back down to her knees. He glared at Soi. "I told you, I won't let you kill her."  
  
"Then I hope you're prepared to kill me, Shogun," Soi replied.  
  
"Ki – " Was he? Was he prepared to sacrifice Soi to save the woman he loved but couldn't have?  
  
Soi moved forward again, threw herself around Nakago and tried to strike Jiyuna with the dagger.  
  
"Iie!" Nakago held her back. The two struggled with the dagger. Nakago had expected to overpower her easily, but Soi was stronger than he expected. She had a firm grip on the knife, and she was determined.  
  
Seeing the two Seiryuu seishi fight over her, along with the pain in her arm, was too much for Jiyuna. The tears came unbidden, and before she knew it, she was crying. Loud, choked sobs broke through the silence around the three.  
  
When Nakago heard the sobs, he turned in surprise to look at Jiyuna. Soi used it as a way to dislodge her hand from Nakago's grasp, but when she did, she put too much force on it. Her wrist, still wet from the rain, slipped out of Nakago's hand, and sent her pitching forward. She stopped abruptly when she hit Nakago's chest.  
  
The pain didn't register at first. He had felt Soi tear her wrist from his hand, and had felt her fall forward. Then, he felt something hard and icy split the skin of his chest and slide almost too easily between the bones of his ribcage. A cold wetness dripped down his chest, and when he touched it, his hand came away red.  
  
Soi stumbled backward. "Naka—" She put a hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes.  
  
Nakago dropped to his knees. The pain hit in a wash of anger, anguish, and the emotions he never allowed himself to feel. He looked down. The hilt of the dagger was all that was visible, the blade completely invisible in the soft folds of his skin.  
  
Lurching forward, Jiyuna caught him as he fell backward, the pain of her arm long forgotten. "Gods, Nakago, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she whispered.  
  
"It's not your fault, Jiyuna. I-It's mine, I know that now."  
  
His voice was low, barely above a whisper, but Jiyuna heard him as clear as bell's ringing on a summer day.  
  
Nakago gripped her hand tightly. "Listen to me, Jiyuna. When I was a boy, my tribe was attacked by Kutou soldiers. They raped my mother. In my rage, my powers killed them... and her. You wanted to know, so I thought I should tell you. Ever since it happened, I only wanted revenge on Kutou's emperor for what he did."  
  
"Shhh, Nakago. Don't talk. I'll get Mitsukake."  
  
"No," he said firmly. "I-It's better this way." Nakago began to cry. The first he had cried in front of a living, breathing person for ten years. "My name was Ayuru," he told her. "My mother named me Ayuru."  
  
Jiyuna began to cry again. "Ayuru is a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful person."  
  
"Jiyuna..." Nakago's voice was becoming even quieter, the breath rasping in his lungs even more laborious, the tears more wracking. "I... I..."  
  
"What, Ayuru?" She leaned close, her ear almost resting on his lips.  
  
He breathed in sharply. "I... love... yooouuu..."  
  
She pulled her head away, looked him deeply in the eyes. He was on his last breaths, she could tell. "I love you, too," she lied.  
  
Nakago smiled, started coughing. A thin trail of blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth, ran down his cheek and left a red trail in his blond hair. "I've... wanted to h-h-hear that for w-w-weeks..." he said.  
  
Then, the life of Ayuru, Seiryuu shichiseishi Nakago, Shogun of Kutou, was over. Jiyuna felt him die. His body went slack, his head lolled back, and the crushing grip of his hand loosened. Jiyuna hugged him close, kissed his smooth, pale forehead. "Sayonara, Ayuru. May the gods guide you to paradise."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Some time later, the doors to the temple of Suzaku were opened, and the seishi stepped out. Tamahome held Miaka, cradling her in his arms. Nuriko saw Jiyuna first. The girl was still hugging Nakago in the middle of the courtyard. Soi was nearly 20 feet away, her face buried in her hands.  
  
"Jiyuna?" Nuriko broke from the group and ran across the courtyard to where she sat. "Wha--?"  
  
The young girl looked up at him, her eyes not recognizing him. Then, "Nuriko?" Her voice was hoarse, and her face was red and blotchy and tear- stained.  
  
The purple-haired seishi squatted down beside her. "Jiyuna... tell me what happened out here."  
  
"I... oh, gods, Nuriko! It was awful. Soi showed up, and she and I fought. She said she was here to stop the summoning, but she was really here to kill me because Nakago loves me. But, I told her I didn't love Nakago, then Nakago showed up and he and Soi argued and then they lost their powers. But Soi had a dagger and she tried to stab me with it but Nakago jumped in front of her and she accidentally stabbed him and killed him and he told me he loved me so I said that I loved him too 'cause he was dying and he was crying and I felt just terrible and now's he gone and... and..." Jiyuna collapsed into sobs again. She leaned against Nuriko and wept.  
  
The other wrapped his arms around the girl, digested all that she had said. The other seishi came up behind him, eyes wide and questioning. Hotohori knelt down beside Nuriko. "Jiyuna..." he whispered. "Jiyuna, it's Hotohori."  
  
Lifting her head, Jiyuna looked at her fiancé. "Hotohori? Oh, Suzaku! I love you so much!" She threw herself into his arms. Hotohori lifted her with ease as she cradled her head against his chest.  
  
"I'm going to put her in bed. Can you guys take care of this?"  
  
"We got it, Hotohori-sama," Nuriko assured him. He watched the emperor walk away, and waited until he was out of hearing distance to hear. Then, piecing together what he could from what Jiyuna had told him, he told the others what had happened.  
  
"Fuck," muttered Tasuki. "He actually saved her life?"  
  
"She changed him, no da," Chichiri said, gazing at the body of Nakago. "In the end, he allowed love to rule him instead of hate, na no da."  
  
"Uh, what'll we do 'bout her?" Tasuki jabbed his thumb in the direction of Soi, who was still sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her chest, rocking back and forth.  
  
"I have a feeling the others aren't far behind," Tamahome said. "Chances are, they'll be here soon."  
  
As if he brought them, several horses appeared out of the night, walking slowly through the courtyard. The other Seiryuu seishi dismounted. Suboshi walked first to Soi, managed to get her to her feet and on a horse. Tomo rushed to the body of Nakago.  
  
"Nakago-sama," he whispered. "Guards! Place the body on a horse, we'll take him back with us." He looked up, as if just noticing the others were there. Straightening, he approached them. "It's not up to me," he said. "But if it were, I would put Kutou at peace with Konan for good. Good bye Suzaku shichiseishi, I hope you all live full and healthy lives." He bowed respectfully, then turned and mounted his horse. The guards had placed Nakago's body on a horse, and were already galloping out of the palace gates.  
  
The other Seiryuu seishi followed, and within moments, only Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chiriko, Chichiri, Nuriko, Tamahome, and a very exhausted Miaka remained.  
  
"I suppose we should all try to get some sleep," Nuriko suggested. "Mitsukake, you should go check on Jiyuna. She had an arm injury of some kind, I noticed."  
  
Mitsukake nodded. "I'll go right now."  
  
Nuriko looked around one last time. "All this can be sorted out in the morning, I suppose."  
  
The seven turned and walked solemnly back to the palace, a dozen questions burning in each of their minds.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Jiyuna, what happened tonight?"  
  
Jiyuna, who was resting comfortably in the emperor's bed, with the emperor sitting on the edge, regarded him with sad eyes. "It's such a long story, Saihitei," she explained. "One that I think would best wait until morning."  
  
"Agreed," he answered. "But then, the whole thing, all right?"  
  
She nodded. "I promise, every last detail will be told."  
  
Hotohori stood when a knock came at the door. "Enter," he called.  
  
The dark-haired doctor stepped silently into the room. "Nuriko told me your arm was hurt."  
  
Jiyuna smiled tiredly. "Hai, Mitsukake. Thank you for coming."  
  
Mitsukake sat on the edge of the bed, much like Hotohori had, and took Jiyuna's arm in his large hands. "It's what I'm here for," he said, smiling back. Poking and examining, the doctor simply laid one hand over the wound, muttered a few words under his breath, and pulled his hand away. "An easy fix," he joked.  
  
"Arrigato."  
  
He nodded, stood, and took his leave. "Get some rest, both of you. Doctor's orders."  
  
Hotohori yawned. "That's a good idea. It's near dawn, anyway, I think." He crawled into the bed beside Jiyuna, gathered her into his arms. "We'll settle all of this in the morning," he told her, and they drifted off to sleep together.  
  
And so they did. The next morning, Jiyuna recounted her days with Nakago in the tent – much to the chagrin of Hotohori – and the fight the night before outside the palace. When all was said and done, everyone agreed that Nakago had changed in the end, and that it was shame he had died.  
  
After breakfast, Jiyuna had excused herself and took a walk deep into the palace gardens. When she reached a small pond, she said a short prayer and threw a bouquet of wild flowers into the water.  
  
"Thank you, Ayuru, for changing my life and allowing me to change yours. I think at one point, I did truly love you." She smiled and closed her eyes, seeing the beautiful haunted face of the shogun. A single tear slid down her cheek. "Fare well," she whispered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Aaaaah, Jiyuna-san! You look so pretty!"  
  
Jiyuna whirled around in her imperial wedding dress before sitting down in the chair in the middle of the room. "You really think so Nuriko?" The two were in Nuriko's bedchamber, getting ready for the wedding. Jiyuna was sitting, trying not to fidget, while Nuriko worked tirelessly twisting and braiding her hair into an intricate and beautiful design.  
  
"Oh, hai hai!"  
  
Jiyuna opened her mouth, but before a word came out there was a crash and a resounding thud outside the door. Nuriko opened it and found Miaka laying face down on the palace walkway, a tipped over vase of flowers beside her broken. She lifted her head, smiled sheepishly as she blushed. "Gomen, Nuriko! I didn't mean to knock over your vase!"  
  
Nuriko laughed, picking Miaka up off the floor. "You're such a clumsy baka, Miaka."  
  
The young girl grinned, then saw Jiyuna in her gown. The red color of the dress matched her hair and eyes perfectly, making it all the more gorgeous. "Oh, Jiyuna!! Hotohori is going to spaz when he sees you!"  
  
Staring at Miaka blankly, Jiyuna blinked a few times. "Spaz? What the hell does that mean?"  
  
Miaka started to giggle. "Never mind.. it's a saying from home."  
  
"Well, thanks anyway... but I am so nervous. It's not everyday I get married... or, for that matter, have a ROYAL wedding. There are nobles from both Konan and Hokkan here."  
  
Nuriko handed her a bouquet of lilacs. "You don't have time to be nervous. You have to go get married!"  
  
The bride grinned and laughed. "You're right. Okay, I'm ready."  
  
The three left the room and made their way to the large banquet hall. Hotohori and Jiyuna had allowed Miaka to tell them of the wedding ceremonies of her home, and decided that having groomsmen and bridesmaids was a good idea. Miaka was the only bridesmaid, but Jiyuna didn't care.  
  
She entered the hall and met Hotohori at the front of the hall. They commenced with the tea ceremony, one of the traditions that both thought should be upheld.  
  
After the tea, Jiyuna gave a nod, kissed Hotohori on the cheek and said she had a surprise for him. "Stand here," she told him. She stepped to the very front of the hall, and gave a cue. Then, she opened her mouth and began a song. A sweet, lilting melody further accented by her rich, soprano voice:  
  
  
  
"One look at love  
  
and you may see  
  
it weaves a web over mystery,  
  
all ravelled threads  
  
can rend apart  
  
for hope has a place in the lover's heart.  
  
Hope has a place in the lover's heart.  
  
Whispering world,  
  
A sigh of sighs,  
  
The ebb and the flow  
  
of the ocean tides,  
  
One breath, one word  
  
may end or may start  
  
a hope in a place of the lover's heart.  
  
Hope has a place in the lover's heart.  
  
Look to love  
  
you may dream,  
  
and if it should leave  
  
then give it wings.  
  
But if such a love  
  
is meant to be;  
  
Hope is home, and the heart is free.  
  
Under the heavens  
  
we journey far,  
  
on roads of life  
  
we're the wanderers,  
  
so let love rise  
  
so let love depart,  
  
Let hope have a place in the lover's heart.  
  
Hope has a place in a lover's heart.  
  
Look to love  
  
and you may dream,  
  
and if it should leave  
  
then give it wings.  
  
But if such a love  
  
is meant to be;  
  
Hope is home, and the heart is free.  
  
Hope is home, and the heart is free."  
  
  
  
The song ended, but all eyes remained on Jiyuna. Hotohori could scarcely breath. He did not know that she could sing, let alone sing like an angel. He walked up to her, took her hands.  
  
"You are so amazing," he said. "I can't believe that you chose me."  
  
"We chose each other, Saihitei, and I will love you beyond the end of my days."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The. End. 


End file.
